《Accidentally Blessed by a Goddess Before Reincarnating》 Ch1: The night I died Yamamoto Taiko life has been very difficult. At a very young age Taiko lost his main family was in a very tragic car accident, Taiko wasn''t with them at the time as he was being watched by a babysitter since he was still an infant. His only family after the accident was his grandfather whom ran a dojo outside Kyoto, that specialized in kobodu among other weapon styles. His life at the dojo was overwhelming, not only did he have to attend the nearby school he had to also endure all the training of the dojo. His grandmother had passed away several years before his arrival so he had inherited many of her duties of cooking and cleaning on top of his already loaded plate. His childhood unfortunately was sacrificed as he had little time to have fun or play with friends. Taiko took to the training of the dojo very swimmingly. He always did his best as he did not want to disappoint his grandfather whom he looked up to. He quickly became skilled with a variety of weapons and fighting styles as well as in karate. Through his grandfather''s peerage he also befriended a black band muay thai fighter whom he ended up taking supplemental lessons with. At school he also excelled being one of the top students as well as vice president of the student council. He wasn''t the smartest kid but he always gave it his all, whether it was PE or math. He also was a member of the music club and became decent at singing as well as playing guitar. Eventually when the time came he decided to attended a university far away to his grandfathers dismay but understood. The timing was good as he was starting to burn out from all his training as well other things. His grandfather would just have to hire someone to help out. He decided that he wanted to study biology and botany as he always enjoyed the mysteries that mother nature had. To support himself he had taken a job as security guard at an upscale hotel near his campus. While working there he met his girlfriend Akane whom worked in the same hotel as a maid. They had a good relationship and his life was just starting to become very enjoyable. That would all change one fateful nigh..... Sitting in his chair with a guitar lightly playing a song, Taiko was relaxing after a long day. He had just finished school for the day as well as having finished a good workout. He had just gotten back from the bathhouse and oddly for once actually had some free time.. He was now trying to figure out what he was going to cook for dinner when all of sudden his phone started to ring. ¡°Great its the buchou...¡± he murmured to himself knowing that it was his boss from the hotel he worked at calling him most likely to ask him to take on a shift. Thinking to himself '' I will politely decline him and resume my beloved free time'' he was really tired and simply wanted to make dinner and play some games he enjoyed assassin games the most where you had to stealthy infiltrate and take down enemies. After which he would lay down, perhaps even having some fun when with Akane after she gets off work latter in the evening. ¡°Taiko here¡± he said with no emotion after begrudgingly answering his phone. ¡°Hey Taiko-kun I was wondering if I could you interest you into picking up a shift tonight¡± ''totally called that'' Taiko thought'', ¡°We have just recently had a important VIP request to stay with us after there personal airplane had engine problems that would take the night to fix¡± his boss said with an enthusiastic tone. ¡°I am sorry buchou but I regrettable have to de.....¡± Taiko started to say before he was quickly interrupted by his boss ¡°Wait I really need you Taiko-kun, we are extremely short staffed. Plus it will give you a chance to meet this VIP. I think you would have a great deal of interest in.¡± buchou put the bait on the hook. ¡°Really who is this VIP that I would have an interest in ¡± Taiko inquired. ¡°Haha Ill give you two hints. it is someone that you have a huge crush on and she is from America¡± bochou answered. Someone that he had an obvious crush on and was from America? Taiko quickly realized that could be only one person his favorite idol Jennifer-tan! As someone who enjoyed music Taiko found himself a fan of many music genres and groups both Japanese and English. His favorite artist was Jennifer Centers. She was an American idol considered to be the most beautiful idol by pretty much everyone. She had a very alluring voice that could touch your soul and she played guitar very skillfully. As matter of fact him and Akane a few days ago had attended her concert and she did not disappoint in the slightest. ¡°Ill be there right away!¡± Taiko said in very shrill voice. He could not hide his excitement even though his exposure to her at work would be limited to her checking in and out of the hotel. He quickly got ready making sure his appearance looked its best. ¡°? I am your only one?!¡± Taiko was singing one of her songs to himself shamelessly as he rode his bike towards work. ''I wonder how Akane-chan is going to react to this development'' he wondered to himself. Arriving at the hotel, Taiko quickly slipped into locker room to get changed into his uniform. ''I wonder if I should spike my hair'' he contemplated. After confirming his appearance in the mirror he left the locker room to check in the security booth on the first floor. Halfway to the room he encountered someone he was hoping to avoid. ¡°Taiko-kun I cant believe you!¡± Akane was in tears. ¡°Literally 20 minutes after we are told SHE is staying here you check in to work for an extra shift!¡± ¡°And what is up with your appearance? I never see you put in this much effort for me! You are the absolute worst!¡± she pounded her fist into his chest with enough force to slightly stagger him. ¡°*cough*Listen Akane-chan you know you are my girlfriend and I love you dearly, but when buchou asked me to work an extra shift and he told SHE was staying here I had to look presentable no? You know there is no way she would ever go out with me she is like a goddess¡± Taiko tried to defuse the situation but he only made it worse in fact much worse. ¡°You have no idea of feelings of a maidens heart. Taiko-kun you owe me big time I expect a romantic date tomorrow.¡± with that she stormed off to the women''s locker room to change to go home her shift must have just ended. ¡°I can understand her jealousy but did I really deserve to be hit for something so small?¡± Taiko said to himself out loud. The two other female workers nearby whom were obviously ease-dropping looked at him in way that said that not only did he deserve it he probably deserved worse. Opening the door to the security booth he greeted his fellow workers for the night. ¡° Hey Issea-san, hey buchou¡± He grabbed a walkie talkie flashlight and a clipped them to his belt. ¡°I don''t think I have ever seen Taiko-kun this excited before¡± Issea stated matter-factually. ¡°She isn''t going to be here for a little bit so hold your horses boys¡± buchou said. Finally after a few hours her and her entourage arrived at the hotel. It consisted of her another girl who looked like her manager, and 4 bodyguards all whom you could tell meant business. Taiko really wished he was one those guys he figured he was probably strong enough to beat one them in a fight. Finishing at the desk they started head towards the elevators. Jennifer''s had a perfect hourglass figure, she was curvy where it counted and trim everywhere else, her creamy white skin that looked so soft and smooth that it was hard to believe it was skin possessed by a human and not a goddess, and her face was so gorgeous even though she had a hat and sunglasses on you could spend hours staring at it st lost in thought and not even realize any time has passed. Light blood hair and behind the sunglasses blue eyes as deep as the ocean. While passing by she did a slight courtesy towards the security booth looking directly at me. Da-thump Taiko could feel his heart skip a beat or two. ''She is truly a goddess'' Taiko said to himself ''mental image saved.'' ''Well I just signed up for 12 hours of work just for one mental image totally worth in my opinion'' Taiko quickly rationalized in his mind. The night was pretty uneventful so far only thing he had to do was make some paparazzi leave after the hotel wouldn''t confirm or deny Jennifer Centers was staying there or not. Boss had already left and it was just him and Issea working the rest of the night. Taiko noticed that nature was calling him to the nearest restroom. ¡°Got to hit the bathroom be right back¡± Taiko let Issea know that was going to the bathroom. Issea simply nodded. After he finished taking care of his business while he was washing he hands something odd happened. For some reason all the lights went out and he could hear glass break in the distance softly. He quickly picked up his walkie talkie ¡°Issea-san whats going on over there?¡±......silence. ¡°Can you hear me?¡±.......silence ''I don''t like this! I swear to god if this is some sort of prank i am kicking someone butt'' Taiko quickly put down his walkie talkie and grabbed his flashlight and his knife he always kept on himself. Slowly he crept up the door to the bathroom. He could hear footsteps approaching the other side of the door. Taiko quickly turned off his flashlight and quickly climbed up the wall of the bathroom grabbing on to a metal vent up above. Unfortunately there was no time to open it right now with his knife since the footsteps were almost here so he simply just held on pulling his knees close to his chest and slowed his breathing. The bathroom door was kicked open and two guys with silenced pistols with flashlight attachments came in. One by one they kicked open doors to the stalls ready to kill if someone was there. Taiko just tried to calm his nerves and mask his presence as much as possible. ¡°Dammit where is that other guard its time for him to join his buddy in the afterlife¡± one of the bad guys said in frustration. ¡°Don''t worry about it we will find him eventually all that matters is that we eliminate the goddess child whom was conceived outside of wedlock by orders of our master¡± the other bad guy was trying to bring there mission back into focus. ''I knew she had to be some kinda of goddess or half goddess'' Taiko confirmed in his head. As soon they left the bathroom Taiko quickly opened up the the ventilation cover with his knife. ''I am going to save her no matter what!''. Knowing what floor she was in Taiko was making haste as much as he could in the ventilation system trying his best to keep the sounds to a minimum. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Opening up the went to 9th floor bathroom he could see one of the bad guys the literally had he pants down (he was using urinal for its intended purpose). With his knife in his mouth Taiko silently descended down the wall using the small gaps in the bricks to hold himself. He took his knife in his hand and slowly approached the man while he was finishing up. Taiko quickly with a concentrated burst of movement Lodged his knife into the back the mans skull, immediately the man went completely limp like a puppet with its strings cut. With his offhand Taiko grabbed him and slowly brought him to the ground. ''I just killed someone'' Taiko took a couple of seconds to wrap his head around it. He had killed many people in video games before as he was an expert at stealth type games like Metal gear solid and assassins creed. Yet when he pulled his knife out of his victims head he couldn''t help but slightly throw up in his mouth as blood started to seep out.''Snap out of it he is here to kill my goddess, a quick death is merciful'' he brought himself back into focus. Grabbing the mans pistol and earpiece he left the bathroom. ¡°Target is locked in a safe room with reinforced steel we are setting up the c4 now¡± someone said in his earpiece. ''Shit I have to get there quickly'' Taiko started sprinting to the end of the hall. There was two bad guys posted in front of the suite keeping watch. Taiko was taking cover the as soon as he saw the flashlight pass by in the hallway going the other direction. He quickly started to approach the two guys. Aiming for the upper chest area he quickly squeezed off a few shots at the first guard. His first shot missed but his second two hit and one of them hit the spinal cord as the goon quickly collapsed to the ground. The second guy turned and shot at Taiko grazing him in the shoulder. It felt so painful he almost dropped his knife in his offhand. Taiko quickly tackled the man to the ground and quickly shot him point black in the temple before he could recover from his head hitting the ground. Boom! As soon C4 went off the whole hotel shook. Taiko couldn''t hear clearly immediately after but quickly realized he had to go to her go right away because the door protecting her was gone now In the room there were 3 guys one of them with a katana the other 2 with pistols one also had a c4 remote in his other hand. As smoke was clearing he could see Jennifer and her manager in the panic room huddled in the corner. As for the four body guards they were all dead body parts were everywhere it had been a massacre. Taiko started to sneak up on the 2 henchmen who were watching the scene in front of them. ¡°Please we will do anything just tell us what you want¡± the manager begged. The katana guy smiled ¡°what do I want? Its simple to eliminate the mistake of a certain goddess. The illegitimate child must die by our master orders it¡±. The manager pulls out a taser and shots it at the katana guy. He dodged the barbs and then grabs on to the wires connected the taser and with a quick tug the manager who is holding onto the taser is pulled closer to him. Swoosh in an instant the manager is slashed. After several seconds her head falls off her shoulders. ¡°You realize that you arn''t going to get away with this my mother will curse you and you have a very painful death¡± Jennifer says trying to buy time as she is the only one whom notices Taiko approaching from behind. ¡°Hephaestus send you? You realize all shits going to break loose when Aphrodite finds out this happened.¡± she quickly added trying to deter him from killing her. ¡° You see that is where you are wrong I have blessings from a different god then Hephaestus, but thankfully due Hephaestus ingenuity I have an item that blocks my actions from the gods¡± he held a small mirror that had a bunch of fancy runes on it. ¡°Now enough chit chat time for you to die¡± right as he said this Taiko point blanked one of the goons in the back of the head executioner style with his pistol and the the one he slashed their throat with his offhand and then slashed there wrist severing palmaris longus making him drop the gun which he quickly kicked away. The sudden thud and loud gurgling noise of blood caught the katana guys attention and he quickly turned around. ¡°So we have a hero present ahahah. Young man you did very well to take out my men but unfortunately like you they were all small fries. Judging by your stance and the way you are holding your knife I can see that you are martial artist.¡± After a few seconds he continued ¡°I am known Banshi by your people and I have the blessings of a war-god. Here take this and please entertain me before I complete my mission¡± Banshi threw something towards Taiko. Tossing the pistol aside Taiko caught the item that Banshi threw to him it was another katana ''oh he wants an old fashion sword fight. I wonder if he realizes I am a first dan in itto-ryu''. Stashing his knife away Taiko take he stance and says ¡°Bring it¡±. Immediately he feels wind pressure on him and he immediately jumps back right as he does he sees a white wave pass through where his neck just was a split second ago. ¡°Interesting you are the first person to successfully dodge that attack before you are giving my high hopes young martial artist¡± Banshi an obvious battle fiend stats ecstatically. ¡°The name is Taiko¡± Taiko says as he unleashes a 5 strike technique all which are parried by Banshi easily. Banshi responds to the combo with a high strike to the shoulder that is still slightly bloody from getting grazed earlier, Taiko blocked it but he was almost tardy he could tell that there is slight nerve damage in that arm. Next Taiko changes his stance slightly instead of the traditional open stance he crouches down and hold the katana aligned with his shoulder to help defend high strikes. Banshi next attack is low so Taiko jumps in anticipation for a low swing and swings high at his opponent. Banshi''s low attack was however a feint so when he parries the high attack from Taiko whom is just sitting in the air he gets a free shot in which uses a knee attack to the abdomen which send Taiko flying backwards slamming into the wall behind him. ¡°*cough*cough*¡± Taiko had the wind slightly knocked out of him from that last knee attack. ¡°Pathetic is that really all you have? I was getting excited for a fight but from what I have seen I got excited over nothing¡± Banshi did his dash attack again which Taiko could sense coming so dodged it with a simple side roll since he couldn''t jump back with the wall in his way. Quickly after the roll Taiko regained his stance and Banshi was already on top of him like a horsefly. Lightning fast combos were being ripped off by Banshi Taiko was having difficulties keeping up and started to prioritize vital points with his guard. Several of Banshi slashes managed to cut Taiko in various places on his arms and legs and he was now bleeding everywhere. ''I have never faced someone so strong before if I lose focus for even a split second I will surely lose my head'' Taiko tried to refocus himself. ¡°Cmon cmon I know you can do better, you better get serious before its too late¡± Banshi was trying to get him to make a mistake to get an opening for a vital point. Taiko reading the situation acted like he was frustrated however in reality he was super calm, calmer then has ever been. ¡°yarghh¡± Taiko started his 5 hit technique earlier that ends in high attack to the left shoulder however after the 4th attack he sold the 5th attack as a feint of his own and quickly slashed across to right across Banshi''s midsection finally landing a strike. Banshi eyes are grow so wide he touches his stomach which now has a giant slash in it and then tastes his own blood. ¡°YES! More show me more! Make my blood boil!¡± Taiko steps in quickly and starts another exchange with Banshi. At this point both of them can easily read each other like a book and the exchanges are only draining each person of stamina and blood. ''If this continues to be a war of attrition I am going to lose since I am losing blood a lot faster'' Taiko thought to himself. He also is noticing that his senses are starting to dull for some reason. I am going to have give up an opening to be able to get a good attach in sorta like sacrificing a chess piece to secure a bigger piece from your enemy. Kicking the ground hard he charges straight at Banshi appearing to perform a simple stab attack reading this Banshi dodges to the side and counters with an easy high attack to the shoulder. Taiko drops his sword and reaches for his knife with his now free hand. Banshi previous attack buries deep into his left shoulder with the blade so deep in his shoulder Banshi takes a second to try and dislodge from Taiko''s flesh. In an instant the smile on Banshee face was transferred over to Taiko because Taikos knife was now buried into Banshi heart slipping through his rib-cage to land in that vital spot. ¡°You realized that my blade is poisoned?¡± Banshee ask simply. ¡°Yes I could feel my senses dulling and it couldn''t be attributed to simple blood loss so I decided to open myself for one last attack¡± Taiko explained his strategy as he twisted his knife and then yanked it out causing blood to sprout out like a fountain. ¡°Well fought maybe we can fight again someday in Valhalla.¡± Banshi fell backwards and passed out from blood loss he would soon be dead. Taiko smiled as he saw his angel he was able to protect running up to him. ¡°You are the security guard from earlier I remember you! You are my hero!¡± Jennifer said ecstatically. ¡°It was all worth it just to see you smile. Akane-chan is sure going to mad at me dying over something like this hahaha*cough*¡± Taiko laughter was cut short as he coughed up blood from his collapsed lung. ¡°Please don''t die your wound look serious but I think you can maybe hold out for the paramedics¡± Jennifer tried to encourage him. ¡°Normally that might be possible even with a collapsed lung and severe blood loss however that man''s weapon is poisoned and I can feel death slowing embracing me and taking me away, that man Banshi lived up to his name of certain death¡± his eyes were now too heavy to keep open, he heard the sound of glass being shattered somewhere far away he could hear angel calling to her mother to save him. It was too late even if she could help there was no going back at this point. Chapter 2 Reincarnation with an Unpleasant Surprise Chapter 2 Reincarnation with an Unpleasant Surprise After a few seconds of nothingness Taiko could feel himself being pulled out of the void, it felt sort of like he had his blankets ripped away from him as he slept. As soon as his awareness had returned to him he found himself in a pure white room. Standing in front of him he could see two figures who both were waiting for him to wake up. The first figure was a very muscular man, he looked sort of like he was one the spartan soldiers from 300. He wielded a spear and shield and his armor was golden and his cape was crimson red. The helmet had a plume of crimson that matched his cape. He gave off a presence that he could kill you instantly if you wished for it. Next to the warrior stood was a woman. She had a beautiful figure every curve and every feature was simply perfect she wore a white dress that left nothing to the imagination. Her creamy white skin glistening giving off a majestic glow. Golden blonde hair deep blue eyes and her face so perfect it gave Taiko a feeling of nostalgia. ¡°Jennifer!¡± Taiko explained after a few seconds pulling Jennifer''s image from his memory. ¡°I am not her brave soul but I am her mother however so I can see how you could come to that conclusion, I have many names but you may call me Aphrodite.¡± Aphrodite introduced herself to him. ¡°And I too go by many names young soul, however you may call my Ares¡± the warrior added. Ares continued ¡°As you can probably tell you have died, now normally the soul would be wiped and reincarnated again. However the circumstances of your death have left us two gods with a feeling of debt to you. You died because you got caught up into the middle of our politics therefore we would each like to give you a gift to take with you into your next life, as well as keeping your memories and skills¡± ''I am pretty sure I have heard this story in a light novel before'' he deduced. ¡°Why do you keep calling me young soul Ares-sama my name is Taiko¡± he was wondering. ¡°Young soul unfortunately your identity as Taiko is now gone ''Taiko'' was simply the vessel for your soul and now that the soul has separated from its vessel you are now simply a soul. You will keep with you his experiences but in your new life it is best that you think of yourself as someone else since you can never return to that world again and you can never become ''Taiko'' again so having such attachment to your old identity will only hinder you going forward in your new life.¡± ¡°That world? You mean there is other worlds?¡± he questioned kind of saddened at the news. ¡°Yes the world you came from is but one of many in our domain it is impossible to return you to your original world with your memories because it goes against the will of the gods. However I feel like a soul like yours never truly belonged in such a peaceful world your fighting spirit is amazing in this new world you will plenty of opportunities to fight worthy battles¡± Ares spoke obviously excited talking about battle which is his favorite subject. ¡°So Ares-sama I was wondering, I can figure out why Aphrodite-sama might feel she owes me but what exactly did I do for you that makes you want to bestow me with a gift?¡± he asked. ¡°You did a lot for me, first you defeated someone whom had my blessing which makes you a worthy warrior and on top of that you stopped him from carrying out the will of an opposing god who was trying to sully my name¡± Ares explained. ''Ah Banshi-sama I see he had the blessing of a war god this is all making sense now'' he finally understood his situation then he asked Ares. ¡°This new world is similar to my old one?¡± ¡°Young soul I cant reveal too much but this new world is quite different then your old world. First there is magic as well as other races then humans. I think on your world it is described as a fantasy world¡± Ares tried to explain without giving away too much. ''I totally have heard this story before in a light novel....'' he now thought. ¡°So I am like the Hero in this new world?¡± he asked seriously. ¡°No young soul, Heroes are summoned from other worlds you are being reincarnated so this new world in actuality will be your home world. Plus your soul does not fill the role hero or demon king, you are too neutral. However if you play your cards right using your gifts and knowledge you have the potential to be equal to both the hero and demon king in strength. It is truly your own life to live as you see fit.¡± Ares explained. ¡°Or you could simply enjoy a peaceful life that you deserve!¡± Aphrodite interjected having spoken for the first time in several minutes. ¡°You seriously don''t think such a warriors spirit will be able to stay away from battle Aphrodite?¡± Ares stated confidently. ¡°I am just letting him know that it is possibility for him if wants it just because a soul has great potential as a warrior doesn''t mean they have to be a slave to the battlefield¡± Aphrodite explained. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°OK, OK I get it I can live my life how I want to. What do we do now?¡± He tried to reduce the tension between the two deities. ¡°Right back on topic now we are going to bestow our gifts to you and I would also like to give you my blessing proud warrior¡± Ares walked up to him and summoned a golden orb in his hand which he somehow was able to put into his chest. ¡°This is the gift of the Adept . With this will be able to grow and learn much quicker with yourself being the only limiter. You will find that your stat growth will be able to match the hero and demon king. This gift also makes it so you start out with slightly increased stats and mana.¡± Ares then touched his shoulder with his spear and said ¡°I also give you my blessing, may you find glory on the battlefield.¡± finally saluting Ares finally walked back to where Aphrodite was standing. Walking up to him slightly blushing Aphrodite summoned a golden orb of her own into her hand ¡° Brave soul I do not know what path you will choose to walk but the gift I give to you is surely going to help you down any path. I give you the gift of Gods information. With this you will be able to both hide your status if someone tries to use information magic on you as well see there information as well as information on anything. Basically you will be able to see information as if you were a god. This also means you will be able to read and speak any language. Use it well.¡± ''This going to be very useful'' he thought. Aphrodite was about to walk away her blushing was now really bad, she couldn''t help it this man had saved her daughter and was about to start a new life she really just wanted to wish him the best. Without thinking she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead ¡°May you find happiness in your next life¡± After this he could feel his spiritual body slowly drifting away. When getting back to where Ares was standing Aphrodite could hear Ares slightly chuckling. Speaking softly to Ares she said ¡°Whats so funny I am blushing because that brave soul saved my daughter and I really hope he enjoys his next life¡± Ares answered ¡° I am not laughing at that. I am laughing because you just gave him your blessing with your kiss¡± Aphrodite thought for a second ¡°Yes but my blessing only effects women so it should have no effect on him.¡± Ares quickly explained ¡°A soul is gender-less and it is able to receive your blessing if its in this state. So the new vessel will be effected by your blessing. Usually changing gender does not effect the soul since it has no memories. However this soul has memories of being a man usually with this type of reincarnation we keep the gender the same as the previous one out of courtesy¡± Aphrodite felt really bad ¡° I cant believe I just did that. I know ill make it up to her! Ill make sure she is born into a well off family so she can enjoy her new life!¡± The soul finally disappeared from the realm of the gods and all of a sudden could feel itself in a complete dark environment that was both warm and comfortable. ''looks like I am in a womb'' the soul thought.'' as it slipped back into unconsciousness. After several months of being in this state the newborn could feel a tug that woke them up. ''looks like it is time to be reborn'' the newborn thought. The newborn could feel air on their head for the first time in a while and then opened their eyes for the first time in their new world. They could see many people surrounding them. The newborn was trying to get there bearings. The apparent midwife picked up the newborn and said ¡°For a newborn she is very quite¡± the other people around her all seemed to agree definitely this was concerning to them. The language was nothing the newborn had ever heard before however they were able to understand it perfectly due to the gift. ''I guess the gift is already paying dividends. Hey wait did they say she??'' the newborn was very concerned and tried to look down to find out for sure. After catching a quick glimpse at her new nether region the newborn started to cry uncontrollably '' this is the reward I get for sacrificing my previous life? What the hell god-samas. I didn''t sign up for this!''. ¡°ahhh there''s those are the tears of a newborn i am used to¡± the midwife stated as she handed the baby to her new mother. ¡°Hi little one I am your mother no reason to be sad you are safe now!¡± her mother then pulled her close and started to cuddle her in her breast to console her. ''I cant believe this is happening now. At least there is no way this could get worse right?'' she thought to herself. All of a sudden the door to the room opened and a man and several guards came into the room. ¡°Congratulations dear we have a new member of our family this is your new daughter Kara¡± after pausing for a few seconds she then added ¡° 3rd princess of Termain¡± ''It got worse!'' she started crying again even worse then before. Chapter 3 Why am I a princess? Time to meet the family.. ============================================================== Alright guys just to let you know I am going start telling the story in first person and ill switch to different POVs instead of doing it all in 3rd person with captioned thoughts. Going to add more spacing for reading convenience. Ill try not to time-skip too much but I have to do some at least for these early years. ============================================================== Chapter 3 Why am I a princess? Time to meet the family. Really a princess? How did this happen to me, is this my karma for upsetting Akane-chan before I died? I am surprised the gods didn''t mention to me that I could be changing genders when reincarnating or maybe I wasn''t suppose to and something unforeseen happened by somebody being a ditz (somewhere Aphrodite sneezes)? You would think making some one change there sex unwillingly after 20 years would be too cruel. My dad is now holding me, he is King William Rosewood. This bastard is going to try and use me as a political piece probably. Try and make me marry some dumb prince who is going to be a lot weaker then me . I swear if you even consider that for a second Ill make you pay big time dear daddy! I laugh just thinking of the things I would do. ¡°Such cute laughter however I feel a menacing undertone¡± -King William ¡°She didn''t cry for several minutes after being born and then she started crying louder then I have ever heard a baby cry and for a long time. She is defiantly a unique child¡± - Queen Ria ¡°Well physically everything seems to be fine I will wash her and you can go and introduce her to the other children¡±-Midwife The midwife starts to dry me off of any residual amniotic fluid. As the towel wipes easily across my nether region I grimace in despair, even though its gone its hard for me to accept it. After she finished she handed me to my mom. For some reason when she handed me over my hand ended up on my mom''s breast and I squeezed it on accident like any man would, causing her a slight moan. At least my man reflexes are still working good. ¡°MHMMM! What strong grip! I suppose she is probably hungry here you go hunny¡±- Ria My mom pulls off the strap on her dress and I can see her bare breast exposed. She starts to pull my head to it. At first I try to resist but for some reason something in my head is telling me that this is very natural and I need this milk to grow strong. Plus I have always loved big breasts, Oppai is life. After I got my breast milk, mother decided to show me around to the other family members. The first family members I meet are my brother Aaron who is 4 and my sister Claire who is also 3. They were both playing in the courtyard being watched by many guards and servants. Mother sits down and both of them ran up to us like it was life or death. I suppose getting a new family member is exciting. I lost my previous immediate family when I was a baby last time so I guess this is going to be a new experience for me. ¡°She is so cute!! I cant wait to play dress up and have tea party''s with her.¡±-Claire No! This is bad I cant be caught up in this girly stuff I am a man on the inside. I notice Aaron has a wooden sword in his belt I try to reach out for it. ¡°Oh Aaron it looks like Kara has taken a liking to you. Here you want to hold her?¡±-Ria Mother hands me off to my brother and he cradles me in his arms. I just sort of sick of being handed around so I give up fighting at this point. I just stare up at him and his cheeks turn bright red. ¡°I will protect you Kara with my life!¡±- Aaron Great now I have a sis-con for an older brother, well actually this might not be so bad I can get him to keep other annoyances away from me especially other boys. I give him a giant smile to seal the deal which causes his cheeks to even more turn red and he smiles too. ¡°No fair no fair Aaron I want to hold her too!¡± -Claire Claire snatches me out of Aaron''s hands with ease. What the hell Aaron what kind of sis-con are you? You are suppose to keep annoyances like these away! I look up at Claire and I cant help but find her adorable she has her red hair in twin-tails and she has on a cute little yellow dress. Wait why I am thinking things as cute? I guess its not that big of deal but I shouldn''t be so pulled in by it. ¡°Older sister Mandy is always too busy to play with me but now I have a little sister I can play with! We are going to play dress up and have tea parties everyday!¡±-Claire No! She thinks of me as a new toy! I need to get out of this situation, time to use my current trump card. ¡°Wahhhhhhh¡± I cry out at my mom reaching out for her. My mom grabs me, I can see Claire is very distraught from my early reaction to her. Oh well sorry onee-chan I don''t think I am going to get into this girl stuff, at least I hope not. My affinity for cute things and the future effects of hormones are going to really test me...... Next my mom takes me to the garrison by the castle. We walk in and there are at least 40 people training I can see that they all are training with either swords, bows, or spears. ¡°Maximilian come greet your new sister!¡±- Ria A tall muscular man with black hair and a face similar to my father jogs over. This is my brother Max he is 17 years old about the same age as me or at least the same age as I was. He is clearly some sort of commander for the army. He gives off a presence of leadership and for some stupid reason decided to salute him. I think I just made a big mistake hopefully they didn''t catch that! ¡°Did did she just salute me!?¡±- Max Shit he saw! My cover is blown. ¡°That''s impossible son why would she know to do that she is only a baby.¡±-Ria Thank god mom didn''t notice it too! ¡°I suppose she must have itched her head or something. It must have just been my imagination playing with me¡±- Max Yes plausible deniability for the win! I cant help but stare at his sword (don''t get any dirty ideas you!). It is well crafted and similar to a western sword in my old world. I prefer a katana when it comes to a sword, but a great one handed saber like this I can dual wield with. I guess since I enjoy dual wielding daggers it is only natural I enjoy dual wielding swords as well. I reach out trying see what sort of material it is made out of. ¡°Interested in this?¡±-Max pulls out his sword and lets me see the hilt which has an emblem that looks like a rose crossed over a sword. I suppose this is the royal symbol for us. I can feel the hilt is made of metal wiring and I can tell the grip is very ergonomic. This craftsmanship makes me very pleased hopefully the blacksmiths in my country wont disappoint me. I give off a huge smile. ¡°Oh we have a small battle Maiden here! I cant wait to see what you can do when you get older!¡±-Max ¡°I highly doubt that! Kara is going to be a fine lady and will have little interest in such things most likely..¡± -Ria clearly concerned with my interest in the sword Mother if you are hoping for me to be pretty pretty princess I think you are in for a rude awakening. ¡°Besides if she joins the military it would be most likely as a mage and even then I cant find it in my heart to send a daughter of mine off to an ugly war.¡±- Ria adds ¡°Oh well no reason to worry about it right now we will see what happens in the future¡±- Max states After meeting a few more people from the guards I don''t really care to remember mother starts walking to a tower alongside the castle. As we approach this I cant help but get a sense of energy emanating from it. As we walk in side the sense of energy gets stronger and I can see a lot of lab equipment and books everywhere. This must be the mage tower I think. That feeling of energy I can only assume is mana? I don''t really know I never had this in my old world. We head up the stairs and enter a huge room towards the top of the tower. Inside is a young woman she is my sister Mandy age 13. Next to her is Gandalf, I mean an old dude with a beard who looks like Gandalf his actual name is Merlin... just kidding its actually Abbot how lame! ¡°Mandy how lucky you were to be on break from the academy you get a chance to meet your new sister¡±-Ria brought me over to her. ¡°Wow she is totally adorable!¡±-Mandy who seemed stressed has lightened up a bit Holding me I cant help but feel a strong connection with her. Up to this point I haven''t like being held but if its Mandy doing it I don''t mind. She looks similar to mom but with blonde hair instead of black. I get a sense a security, I willing to bet she is a strong mage based on the energies I can feel between our skinship. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I am keeping her ok? She obviously is going to be a mage and belongs with me.¡± - Mandy decided to try and claim me this made me blush which no one noticed. ¡°What makes you so sure Mandy maybe she just wants to be a fair lady waiting to be courted by a Prince¡± -Mother fantasied with red cheeks while I sort of just wanted to throw up. ¡°Because mom I can feel her mana it is very strong for an infant she might even surpass me.¡±- Mandy explained. ¡°Your Majesty may I have a look upon this child?¡± Abbot the court mage asked. ¡°I don''t see why not I was curious about her status anyways¡±- Ria Abbot picked me up and grabbed my hand sending a little bit of energy in me. ¡°Well I cant tell precisely but I know she has tremendous mana for a young child she perhaps is another mage prodigy in this family fufufu¡±-Abbot seemed to pleased ¡°Do you want me to use Identification magic on her to see her status precisely¡±- Abbot offered looking at mother. ¡°I told you I was curious about her status earlier so yes please by all means¡±- Ria This is going to be hilarious. Abbot set me down on a pillow in the middle of a table there are magic circles all around. I can feel energy around them they probably are boosting the effect of the spell. After Abbot chanted a few world that were different language( I can understand there meaning because of my gift). ¡°Well?!¡±- both mother and Mandy are very curious to say the least ¡°Unbelievable I cant read her status even with a lvl 7 identify spell this is truly remarkable. The only way this could happen is if she has a gift for it!¡±- Abbot is a bit too happy about all this ¡°Well cant you use something stronger? If she has a gift then I really want to know what it is.¡±-Ria was not going to let it go that easily ¡°Your Majesty my lvl 7 identify spell is the 2nd most powerful in the world, only the headmaster at Mahouren academy can do better. And that academy is in Jabel not to mention his spell might fail as well.¡±-Abbot I cant stop laughing. Thank god they cant see my information and i am not going ever let anyone see it, its dumb to play cards with them all face up. I dont want to be some prodigy locked up in some room for protection. ¡°Fufu this child seems to enjoy seeing us struggle¡±- Abbot claims after seeing me laughing. ¡°Darn I was really hoping to see what our little angel is hiding. I know royalty get a gift from there bloodline but an additional gift I am too curious I may have to request the help of the headmaster after all.¡±-Ria is like a kid with a Christmas present she cant open. After taking me back to the castle and giving me so more ''sustenance''. Mom places me in a well made cradle and covers me with a pink blanket. I would normally reject it but I am rather cold and tired. Yes mom I am hiding a gift well 2 gifts to be precise. Actually I am curious myself , I wait for her to leave and I decide to try and activate one of my gifts So how do I do this after trying several different things I finally got it to work by clearing my mind and thinking Status only.
Status Window
Name:Kara RosewoodTitle:PrincessRace:HumanGender:Female
Class:Subclass:Age:<1Level:1
Titles
Resources
Health:25/25Mana:1250/1250Stamina:20/20
Stats
Strength:30Intelligence:15Agility:30Charisma:55
Wisdom:15Precision/aim:25Vitality:30Luck:25
Wow I have pretty decent stats for a newborn I am willing to bet these are not normal even by a little bit, especially the mana one. I will have to compare myself to other people to realize how much of a monster I truly am. With only 25 hp tough I better be careful it would suck to die before accomplishing anything. The gods said I got to keep my skills from my last life time so next I clear my mind and think about skills. [/tr][tr]
Skills
Weapon Mastery Skills
Sword lvl 6Dagger lvl 6dual sword lvl 4Bow lvl 3throwing knife lvl 3Staff lvl 2Spear lvl 2
Magic Skills
No chant castingquick mana recoveryOther
Sneak lvl 4Acrobatics lvl 6Muay Thai lvl 3Judo lvl 3
Gifts
Gift of the AdeptGift of Gods information
Blessings
Blessing of the War GodBlessing of AphroditeBlessing of Royal Blood
Nice I am already way ahead of the game from all the training with Ojisan I am thankful all that work wasnt wasted. Wait what are these blessings! I directly remember Ares blessing me it was quite obvious and the blessing of royal blood that can be explained by me being a princess. I don''t remember Aphrodite blessing me at all. She did wish me luck and sent me off. I clear my head and thinking about the blessing of Aphrodite.
Blessing of Aphrodite -major boost in charisma slight boost in luck -appearance can charm people -increased fertility -success of pregnancy increased
OK now i am pissed increased fertility and pregnancy success? I know she is the goddess of beauty and fertility but why was I given this? This blessing is clearly telling me I will make an excellent baby maker. I am assuming I am going to be gorgeous from this blessing which is going to make the number of suitors courting me astronomical.... troublesome. This is truly troublesome with a capital T!. I need to train Aaron to be an overbearing sis-con. Chapter 4 A guide how to train as an infant among an over dotting family Just a short chapter to wrap up Kara''s infant stage the next chapter will have a small time skip -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4 A guide how to train as an infant among an over dotting family -by Kara So its been several months now since I was reborn as Kara and I am running into a major problem. Everybody is in love with me. This stupid blessing of Aphrodite has screwed over my training so much. Why couldn''t I have just been born among commoners so ugly that people would just ignore me while I slowly became the demon king! Wait I am just joking I wouldn''t want to become the Demon King seems kind of boring if you ask me sit on the throne for years and then fight the hero and die I think I will pass. Nope I have to get the stupid blessing that charms people passively. My reward for saving her daughter is to look like her daughter, this is not an award this is a punishment. I can already assume that when I grow up I will look a lot like Jennifer. I was able to see my reflection over water the other day and the little hair I had was the same color blonde and I had the same deep blue eyes as well...... I really hope I can find a way to become a man again. Like maybe there is some secret potion at the bottom of someplace called Fairfax manor just like in Fable 2. I can hope right? I kind of have a feeling that the blessing of Aphrodite is sort of locking me into female. I need to find out if I can get rid of this blessing because even if I cant become a man at least if I can get rid of this blessing I might be able to blend in with the crowd. Anyways I have sort of become nocturnal. Since I cant get any real training done during the day I do it at night when I am alone. I even have unlocked a couple of skills recently from it
Low-Light visibility You can now see in low light situations a lot better then your average human
I mean its probably nowhere as good as having elf eyes but I will take it none the less. Also since I am up all night I have gained a new skill that makes it so I can sleep less
Short-rest You now recover from sleep twice as much.
So basically at night basically I get out of my crib. Its really easy since I have lvl 6 acrobatics once I get out of my crib I practice against imaginary opponents with invisible weapons. I am not getting super strong from this but its at least tangible and using my imagination also has caused my intelligence to go up quite a bit. Oh yea by the way my stats are OP compared to kids my age. Like Claire and Aaron stats all average 5-10 and there mana is about 500 so I am like over three times stronger then a 4 year old at this point. The only reason they even have that much mana is because of royal blood. So if someone found a way to look at my status page I would probably be in big trouble. About that my mother hasn''t let up on it, not being able to see my status. I am pretty sure she is going to try and find a way for the headmaster at Mahouren academy to take a look at me. He apparently has a lvl 9 analyze spell. Spells in this world go up to level 10 and very few people can cast a level 10 spell. Probably the number of people that can cast a level 10 spell can be counted on one hand. Either way I am not worried about it. The thing that does worry me is the fact when I start speaking she is going to want me to share my status with her and that is going to be put me in a bind. I will have to come up with a believable lie, or a way to fabricate my own magic when I share it. That''s if I can even share it in the first place which I believe is quite possible I dont see any issues when I look at my Gift.
Gift of the God''s information -Ability to analyze everything you can fully sense -Status is immune to any outside identification magic -Access to various information about this world
Another cool thing about this gift is various information I can get. For example if I use the gift and think what is the Capital of Termain it will pop up Lorrington. It is sort of like google inside my head pretty neat right? It definitely doesn''t have everything like it cant read a book that I name in my head but I am constantly amazed but what I can find out. ¡°Is my little angel awake¡±-Ria You would think the queen has better things to do then constantly dote on her little daughter. Like cant a maid do what you are doing? Surprisingly mom is actually a decent mage. I was wondering why father didn''t have any concubines and it appears mother is the reason, I guess you could say she wears the pants in the relationship. With her body strengthening magic it would be hard to resist her and then she would be wondering how I was able to resist her so I kinda just have swallow my pride as a man and take it. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Lets get you all cleaned up!¡± Ria She then takes me to get washed up in the bath using the most flowery soap I have every smelt. Afterwards she holds in front of her a cute blue dress with a yellow bow-tie which would really match my eyes and hair. Ok brain not cool why did I think that way? Why did think it was ''cute'' and also notice the ''matching'' factor? This is too much mother I have already decided I wanted to go with the rough tomboy look enough of this pretty princess shit. After putting up a very slight fight just like one of my age should be able to muster to prove to her I didn''t like the dress, she finally got the dress on me. She then picked me up and took me to a mirror. ¡°I dont know why you were fighting me earlier look how cute you look!¡± -Ria I just kept staring at the ground fighting every urge to look into the mirror. Then part of me becomes dangerously curious. It would be like looking at Jennifer when she was a baby I rationalized in my mind. Does that mean I am a pervert? Probally. Anyways one little peak cant be that bad right? Slowly I look up to the mirror and am shocked not only do I look super cute I also cant help but blush from my own image, it becomes so embarrassing that I blush even deeper which then starts a very vicious cycle of shame and embarrassment. ¡°Wahhhhhh¡± Trump card activated. That was pretty bad huh. I might turn into a narcissist when I get older if I am not careful. I definitely need to avoid long looks in the mirror. Anyways the fight to watch over me in the family starting to get really amusing. Yesterday Claire tricked Aaron that there was a fairy trying to take me away. Aaron how are you ever going to fend off suitors from me if you are so darn gullible. Mandy even one time used magic to forcefully take me away from mother after mom had monopolized Kara time. Basically this has become a game of tug-of-war with me being the rope. Well today it looks like I will have a chance to do some additional training. Since mother has some business in town and Mandy has returned to school I can continue to cultivate and condense my mana because I highly doubt Claire will know what I am doing. A few weeks after I was born I was able to control the mana in my body. Its a skill called
Mana manipulation Control to suppress and alter the mana in your body
This skill is good for 2 reasons first it stops an effect known as mana leaking which in stealth situations is very important. The second reason is you can condense your mana making it more pure. While this doesn''t make your mana pool bigger it does increase your strength of your mana. Think of it like putting the expensive gas in your car versus the cheap gas, the tank is the same but you get more mileage with the better gas. How did I figure all this out you ask? Its simple I googled I mean used the gift on it. Sitting at a tea table for several hours with Claire the whole time I was in cultivating my mana. At least I am not totally wasting my time at this tea party. The tea table we are sitting at has the two us as well as a bunch of stuffed animals sitting around. If I wasnt partaking in it myself I would find this scene rather cute. Claire then grabbed 2 stuffed animals Mr.BunBun and Mr. Ribbit. ¡°Mr. BunBun loves Mr.Ribbit wont you be my wife Mr.Ribbit?¡± she then makes them kiss each other. Wow I bet she would really be into BL back in Japan. Anyways I am at my limit with this teaparty. Plus I need a new diaper this sucks I cant wait to get a little older and walk on my own two feet. I whine to a maid and she comes and helps me out. ¡°Does little Kara need a change¡± the head maid who name was Rebecca asked me. What do you think miss maid obviously I was crying and you can tell by the smell. You have nice oppai so I guess you are forgiven. She takes me away to a room and changes my diaper. I can see several maids all talking to each other they are laughing about something and then looking at me. Oh no this is not good my spidey senses are telling this is a trap! One of the maids was holding something in her hand and started to walk over to me with a huge grin on her face. I use analyze on the item
Maid baby Outfit Crafted by one the maids with the Tailoring skill she put her heart and soul into making this
No! Somebody save me from this castle! Everyone here is weirder then me and that''s saying something. Chapter 5 Four years into a new life and I am Burning Out This a short chapter is a little more serious about Kara''s mentality not as much comedy in this chapter. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 5 Four years into a new life and I am burning out Well its been over 4 years in my new life as Kara Rosewood. I am anything but your typical 4 year old princess. I am constantly training with both weapons and magic. I also have been learning about the politics and such of this world. I am the currently the 3rd princess of Termain. Termain is one of 5 human countries on the continent of Solus it is the smallest of the 5 but our military is well respected so we somewhat avoid being bullied. My father King William Rosewood is a very talented politician in his own right. I have somewhat come to respect him but if he tries uses any of my siblings or me against our will I will not forgive him. We are not political pieces in a game of chest. I almost lost my temper the other day when I heard about my sister Mandy''s engagement to the 2nd prince of Jabel Felix Ducal. I actually talked to my sister about it and her and Felix were actually mutually in love. They had both attended Mahouren Academy together and had always been somewhat close growing up. She assured me that it wasnt against her will and they had even agreed to the engagement earlier but both her and Felix wanted to finish at school before making any announcements. This marriage would allow her to have influence in the academy and allow her to do research into magic with the available resources there. To be honest politically this marriage made sense on many levels because not only was Jabel a boarder country, Termain and Jabal had always had a good relationship. Felix and Mandy''s union would strengthen the bond between the two countries for the future. The wedding would be in several months and I guess it will be the first time that I get exposed to the other nobles and royalty. How fun.......not really. Anyways I have seem to loss focus in my training lately and it is starting to bother me. Earlier I could not even complete an easy obstacle course by the garrison that I had no problems clearing before. Also my weapon training hasn''t really produced much results only my dagger lvl 7 and bow lvl 4 skills have leveled up in the past 4 years. I guess fighting dummy''s and imaginary foes dont count that much in eyes of the xp gods. I would love to go hunting for monsters but I would definitely be shot down. I am only lvl 9 and I feel like I should be higher. Here is my status
Status Window
Name:Kara RosewoodTitle:PrincessRace:HumanGender:Female
Class:Subclass:Age:4Level:9
Titles
prodigy
Resources
Health:140/140Mana:1850/1850Stamina:130/130
Stats
Strength:52Intelligence:46Agility:65Charisma:75
Wisdom:34Precision/aim:46Vitality:48Luck:30
I keep trying to figure out why I am in my current slump and the only answer I can come up with is I am burning out. In my past life towards the end of high school I had burnt out from the training. I wasnt getting any better and by fixating harder and harder to get stronger I only found myself regressing. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. How did I get out of that slump last time? If I remember correctly my councilor had talked to me after my grades started to slip and had me see a psychiatrist. Basically the psychiatrist said that I was burning out from all the training which was compounded on top of the fact that I had no childhood. The prescription was to take a break from training and live a normal life for a while to come out of the depression. Well last time I did that it totally worked, it was literally the happiest time of my life. I really enjoyed karaoke and playing video games hanging out with friends. I even took part in the school play. I dont get it though how am I burning out when I am only 4 years old! This time I even am having a childhood right? Deep down inside I know this isn''t true even a little. What sort of childhood is this? I am constantly training, constantly researching, constantly learning about magic. I have even done everything in my willpower to try and not become too attached to my family. No its a lot worse then it was last time. Even if I were to take a break how could I even have a decent childhood? I am a fricken princess, I am sheltered from everyone outside the castle. I need to get out of the castle this place it is limiting me. Yet the very people that I tried so desperately to not grow attached to. I dont want to leave them now. This is kind of messed up huh. I dont think I can wait till I am 9 to join Mahouren academy. I need a past time something that I can have fun with. I need to stop trying so hard to be someone I am not. I mean the gods even told me to let go of the past. It is easier said then done though I assure you. Keeping your memories in a way is both a blessing and a curse in this way. I will never let go of the Taiko part of me that I am sure of. I think the only thing I can do is try embrace both the Taiko aspects of me as well as the Kara aspects of me. I am already embracing the Taiko aspect of myself. I haven''t fully accepted the Kara aspects of myself and I think that is what is holding me back more then anything. I think the reason I haven''t is two fold, first ever since I was a baby I have been forced femininity to the extreme being a princess and all. I think if it was more subtle I may have taken to it with less resistance. The second reason is I hadn''t seen any benefit to it making me become stronger as a fighter. I need to come to grips that I can have more aspects other then just being a fighter. Its not wrong for me to think something is cute or like to do girl stuff. At the same time its not wrong from me to like girls, oppai, martial arts, and katatas. I wonder how dad is going to react when I tell him that I like girls. Perhaps hormones might change me but I definitely know my love for girls is not going to go away. I have always enjoyed singing and botany I think I am going to enjoy some of my old hobbies again and try and get out of this slump. I make my way to the mages tower. ¡°Court mage Abbot. I want to learn about alchemy what books do you recommend?¡± ¡°So you want to learn about alchemy you say? I suppose there is no harm in lending you some of the books from our library. Though you being so young I am afraid that is all I can do for I wouldn''t want to put the lady in danger of mixing or collecting herbs.¡±- Abbot went and brought back some basic books. ¡°Those ones are no good I need the advanced ones¡± I knew this was going to happen all this basic information is available to me through my gift. ¡°I promise you princess the basics are the foundation for you to learn upon¡±-Abbot was not going to let it go. ¡°OK make me a test based on what I would learn from these books and if I can answer them correctly you will let me borrow the advanced books?¡±- I knew that it would come to this so might as well get it over. An hour latter Abbot gave me a parchment that 20 questions about the basics of alchemy as well as a few difficult questions. I was surprised at I only needed to use my gift on 3 questions that were about specific potions. ¡°All done¡±- I gave him back the test with a smile on my face I knew I got every question right. ¡°I dont know how but you got every question right. Some of those questions would even trip up an experienced alchemist. I just have one question how?¡±- Abbot is dumbfounded ¡°I am a genius¡± - while not entirely false I couldn''t exactly expose my gift so this answer works. After collecting my books that I worked hard to get. I set off to talk to my mother. I am going to see if I can get some singing lessons from a bard. Also I am going to start to pressure her to start taking me out of the castle. Chapter 6 A wedding in Toulia pt.1 Chapter 6 ========================================================================= Been busy this last week just now I have had a chance to write out a chapter. I am breaking the wedding into 2 parts enjoy. ========================================================================= A wedding in Toulia part 1 Several months have passed since I have decided to pick up new hobbies to help break me out of this slump I am in. I just recently had my 5th birthday and I got some pretty awesome birthday gifts. Since I have started bard lessons(bard is now one of my sub-classes), one of the gifts I was given was a custom made lute. It was crafted by one the best woodworking artisans in our country. It had a beautiful golden yellow varnish with intricate blue orchids painted onto it. It was perfectly attuned to my current voice. It didn''t take me hardly any time to learn how to play it like a master. This is because of two reasons. First is from my gift of the adept (quick learner). The other reason is because I was decent playing guitar in my previous life and a lot of the basics translate from guitar to lute. The other gift that I got was my first actual weapon, a well crafted dagger custom made by my brother Max''s favorite blacksmith. When I was asked by my mother what I wanted for my birthday I told her a weapon. She quickly asked me why I wanted such a thing instead of some jewelry or a dress. This where my little girl charm came in handy. I explained that even though the royal guard is very good at what they do, in the unlikely scenario that someone was grabbing me, having a dagger would be really nice to have. Once it was decided that I would get it I was asked what my preferences were. Basically I wanted something that was thin, lightweight, a sharp point yet very strong and sturdy. The end result was something akin to a stiletto. I didn''t want any fancy gems that would make it stand out, however the royal crest of Rosewood was imprinted on it denoting affiliation with the royal family. This will definitely help protect me from kidnappers, thieves, and most importantly suitors. I have recently been pressuring my parents to let me leave the castle to get some field experience in collecting herbs. They for some reason dont understand why I personally need to go get my own alchemy herbs. I try to explain to them that collecting your own herbs an important skill for a young alchemist. They still wont budge on this even with my little girl charm ( that is boosted by a very high charisma rating). To them I am a treasure above all, and it is really frustrating to say the least. I have at least one elite royal guard near by at all times which is a big annoyance. I also have an enchanted ring that generates a small magic barrier around me. The ring wont totally negate a high level spell but it would somewhat dampen it. Also I need my parents permission to do anything. Anyways I finally got to leave the city I was reborn in Lorrington. We are traveling to Toulia in the country of Jabel to attend my sister Mandy''s wedding. She is marrying the 2nd prince of Jabel Felix Ducal. While the marriage has many politic implications, it is based upon a mutual love. It has been 4 days traveling in a carriage and our envoy is finally arriving for the wedding. The city of Toulia while not the capital of Jabel has as much as impact as a capital if not more. Inside the city is the prestigious school of magic Mahouren Academy. When I heard about Mahouren I was very intrigued on how it got its name because in Japanese ''Mahou'' refers to magic and it being a magic school the chances of this being coincidence is unlikely. Apparently it was named this by its founder Sage Jayce Banth. I am willing to bet that he was a reincarnated person who kept there memories and was Japanese or perhaps was a summoned hero. Anyways Sage Jayce was long dead centuries ago so a conversation with him was not possible even though I would have very much enjoyed it. As our carriage arrived in the city I quickly became enamored by Toulia, not only was it epicenter for the magic community it also has an extremely varied population. I could see elves, demons, dwarves, cat-people, among many different races. I truly was in a fantasy world and this place was a huge mixing pot of a bunch of different cultures. I suppose the fact that the school has attendees from all across Solus as well as Jabel being kind of close to elven and beast-kin lands made this place unique. Our carriage arrived at a massive estate on top of a hill overlooking the city. As I stepped out of the carriage I looked down the hill and I could easily figure out where Mahouren was because it was prodigious on a grand scale. Even a few miles away I could see a massive coliseum, I also counted 9 different towers all around the campus. Two identical hotel like buildings separated by a massive fence which was probably the dorms. ¡°Wow Mahouren is truly a first-class magic academy¡±, I said to Mother while walking to the estate that we would be staying at for the wedding. ¡°Yes I went there a long time ago, it was some of the most enjoyable time of my life¡±, mother replied reminiscing about the past with a small smile across her face. ¡°I will give you a tour tomorrow since we are going to visit the headmaster and see if he can read your status. We will have quite a bit of time in between the wedding and the reception and gala latter in the evening.¡±, mother sure hasn''t given up on my status. Thankfully I found out that looking at your own status isn''t that simple in this world unless your me. It is not something that everyone can do, and it requires a basic understanding of identification magic. I am currently prohibited from using magic by my parents when I accidentally set my room on fire a while back. I was experimenting using multi-elemental spells and the combo of wind and fire was a lot stronger then I anticipated. I still practiced in secret when I had an opportunity, but it was difficult since I had a guard around pretty much always. I have taken a break from training in the past few months anyways since I was burning out. I was just trying to live a carefree life for a while so I could come out of the depression I was in. The funny thing is I leveled up twice during my break which actually more then I had leveled in the past year when I was training hard everyday. I suppose I get a decent amount of experience practicing singing now that I have a sub-class bard. I haven''t gotten much experience from alchemy though because I have had little opportunity in mixing which is somehow considered ''dangerous''. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. As a matter of fact the only thing that I have been doing that could be considered training is cultivating my own mana pool. I now have extremely pure mana but since my pool is always increasing it is a perpetual struggle to keep it from diluting too much. Greeting us in the main lobby of the estate was my sister Mandy. She has truly blossomed over the years. Her blonde hair which is a little darker then mine gently cascades down her shoulders and she has really filled out her womanly figure in the right places. If not for being my own sister I would feel extremely attracted to her. Quickly Mandy pounced on me like a lion attacking its unsuspected prey. ¡°Oh my goodness Kara I haven''t seen you in over a year and you have gotten so big!¡±, Mandy says affectionately. It is true for being 5 years old I am tall just barely under 4 feet tall, I wonder if my growth is accelerated by my mana cultivation or perhaps it has to do with my gift either way I was just as tall as Claire whom was 3 years older then me so I am going to be a decent height when all is said and done. ¡°Yes I am surprised at my growth as well. Anyways congratulations I am sure I will enjoy the reception from the pews.¡±, I answered. ¡°From the pews? You are in the wedding party! You know you and Claire are both brides maids right mother was suppose to inform you? I received your measurements from the head maid a few months ago however based on your growth there will need to be some adjustments. We need to get you to the tailor immediately.¡± Mandy declared. I glared at mother. I wasnt particularity bothered wearing a fancy brides maid dress, heck it cant be much worse then what the maids have been dressing me up in. I was more bothered that I didn''t know about or have any choice in the matter. I want to try and stay as incognito as possible, and being in the wedding party would certainly not help. On the other hand I was very honored that my sister would make me one of her brides maids. She had plenty of friends and colleagues that would honored to be one of her brides maids too. I blushed just thinking about it. My onee-sama really adored her little sister''s even though there was a decent age gap and limited time spent with us on her breaks. ¡°Mother you must not keep such delightful news away from me from now on!¡± I said sarcastically to my mom. I was still upset from getting blind sided about this. ¡°Oh my it must have totally slipped my mind¡± she answered obviously lying. I dont buy it she knows I shy away from any sort of attention. I will get her back somehow, it is at too late of stage to find a replacement for me now. ¡°Well lets not delay lets get you to Beatrice immediately¡±, Mandy said while grabbing my hand leading me into another part of the estate. After traveling deeper in the manor I was lead into a room, inside was a scene of mens'' fantasies. There were at least 10 gorgeous girls and many of them were half naked only wearing corsets garter-belts and stockings. ¡°I guess I wasnt the only one who needed a final hour adjustment.¡± I said to myself enjoying the scenery with a big smile. I may be a cute loli but there is a part of me that is a 20 year old man. It seems like everyone who was talking all of sudden got quiet. They all were looking at me, I truly feel embarrassed! My cheeks are so red, I wonder if they find me cute? I hadn''t had a chance to change out of this dress in several days since we have been stuck in a carriage. Was my hair gross from not being able to wash it properly in several days? A lot of negative thoughts were going through my head I was sure that the other girls were too disgusted to say anything. ¡°This is my sister Kara I have been talking about!¡± Mandy proudly explained to the girls. ¡°Mandy she is adorable!¡± one of the girls said almost in a vibrato. ¡°I could just wrap her up and keep her all to myself!¡± another stated. Compliments started flooding out and I quickly was encircled by a hungry pack of wolves. Not wanting to be rude I introduced myself, ¡°Hello everyone I am Kara, Mandy''s little sister it is a pleasure meet all of you.¡± I then did a slight curtsy. The blushing was really bad I couldn''t help but feel embarrassed and yet excited at the same time. Knowing that their stares were in admiration and not disgust made me feel so happy. I really needed to take a long bath though because my hair is almost a disaster. After getting my measurements and adjusting the dress. Mandy took me to where everyone was having dinner. The food was really delicious it was roast with cooked vegetables, I didn''t see her fiance anywhere so I assumed they had a superstition about the bride seeing the groom the night before there wedding like was in my old world. After dinner I asked Mandy where I could take a bath. She escorted me to the luxurious bathroom that was much like a bathhouse there were several other ladies already using it. ¡°Isn''t there a more private bathroom I dont know if I feel comfortable here.¡± I said in a very serious tone. ¡°Nonsense whats the problem sis? We are all girls here there is nothing to hide.¡± Mandy wasnt going to let me get away. ¡°It just feels awkward. I know I bathed with Claire before but we are siblings. This is different.¡± I wasnt sure how to explain to her that I felt like I was doing something very perverted. ¡°You are so shy it very cute. But this is how most people bathe in the world. Not everyone can afford there own private bathroom. Also it is a good way to bond amongst us girls¡± After saying that Mandy quickly untied the back of my dress and it dropped down to my feet. She then herself started to undress. ¡°Could you untie my corset¡± she asked me. After obliging her request I couldn''t help but admire her bust that must at least be a D-cup in my estimation. Would I one day have such breasts? That would become a big hindrance swinging a weapon but at the same time I would get to play with them. Guess we will cross that bridge when we cross that bridge. After our bath I was escorted to my room to sleep. Tomorrow was a big day time to get some decent sleep. Chapter 6 A wedding in Toulia pt.2 Chapter 7 Wedding in Jabel pt.2 Waking up from an extremely refreshing 6 hour sleep (feels like 12 hours because of short-rest skill). I find my face buried in my sister Mandy''s bosom. I guess she must have slipped in when I was unconscious. I am kind of mad that I did not notice her come in last night if she was an assassin I would be dead. I think that is one of the draw backs of short-rest, that when you sleep you get twice as much out of it at the price of sleeping like a log. I start to push her away but she pulls me back in, I guess she isn''t going to let go of her hug pillow that easily. ¡°Sister its time to get up there''s a wedding today, and its yours!¡±, I say to her as she slowly opens her eyes. ¡°Kara why are you being so mean just let me enjoy my Kara-pillow for 10 more minutes.¡± She then chanted something and then said ¡°I dont need to be anywhere for another hour anyways¡± ¡°Mandy I''ll be your hug pillow if you promise to always take care of me if I need your help¡± I told her looking into her in the eyes. ¡°Kara you know that goes without saying, you are my sister and esteemed hug pillow I would do anything in my power for you.¡± Mandy reassured me. After cuddling with Mandy for some time we finally got up and headed to the dressing room to get dressed. The wedding ceremony was going to happen early today and then later in the evening would reception/gala. After being explained what mmy duties were as part of the wedding party I found that the weddings here are oddly familiar to western weddings in my old world. There are many parallels between the two worlds and this makes me think there is a good possibility that there is other reincarnated people around. The brides maids dress is pink and really frilly and I have to wear damn heels with it. Its fine though I know I look good in it and its for my favorite person in this world so I will bear with it. I will not be wear this any longer then the length of the ceremony. I look into the mirror, I find that I look a lot older then I am, I am clearly in the loli stage now even though I am only 5. The ceremony is going without a hitch. We are now to the part where the brides maids and groomsmen walk down together. I have to hold some boy''s hand? Mandy owes me big time! Anyways when my turn comes I find that the groomsmen is a young boy about 10 basically Aaron''s age. He has short black hair and brown eyes, I can tell by how he walks that he trains hard. There is no wasted movement in his walk, very efficient. When we finally lock hands his hands I find his hands are very sweaty. This is very gross I cant wait till we split before the altar, and he is blushing too this guy is totally nervous. I almost feel bad for him he is getting all nervous over some 5 year old, even though I look a lot older then that plus the fact that heels make it so I am only a little bit shorter then him. Thank god we finally separated. I wipe off his sweat on my dress, that was so annoying. I now can feel the eyes of almost everyone in the audience upon me. I don''t want to stand out but there is no helping it at this point. I was blind-sided into this role and now I am turning everyone into the audience into lolicons. Finally Mandy and Felix came down to the altar. I notice something familiar about Felix what is it? Oh yeah that nervous boy, that is definitely his little brother. Mandy and Felix exchanged there vows and kissed to end the ceremony. After the ceremony I quickly departed to the dressing room. Claire, Mother, and myself were going to Mahouren today so we had to quickly change into street clothes so we wouldn''t stand out. I was given a veil to cover my face, I think I am going to request to wear a veil from now on. Claire was taking a visit to see the campus which she would attend next year when she turns 9 and I was going to get looked at by the headmaster. Mandy wanted to give us a tour but she was way to busy today for obvious reasons We came up to a giant gate, I guess this is the entrance to the academy. My mom got out and showed the guard some papers and the guard let us through. As we entered the the campus of Mahouren by carriage I could feel the thick magic barrier surrounding the campus, I cant imagine how many mages it took to cast it. Just to left of the entrance was impressive looking stables, which we pulled up to. After dropping off the horses and carriage we ventured into the campus. Even though we are not trying to stand out, it is obvious that we are some type of nobles because of all the guards surrounding us. Our first stop is going to be at the headmasters office. It is located in a tower in the middle of the campus. After talking to the headmasters secretary we are ushered into the headmasters office. I am quickly taken aback by the headmasters appearance, I was totally expecting to basically see someone who looked like Abbot and instead the person who greeted us a beautiful female elf. She had long silver hair and a snow white complexion. ¡°Its been a long time Elise how have you been?¡± My mother said to her. ¡°I have been very busy your highness¡± Elise quickly answered. ¡°Call me Ria we go way back Elise, anyways this is my daughter I wanted you to look at¡± she pushed me forward for me to introduce myself. I removed my veil and said to Elise ¡° It is a pleasure to meet you I am Kara please take care of me.¡± ¡°Come here young child let me take a closer look at you¡± Elise asked me. I walked forward and I couldn''t help but marvel at her beauty I knew elfs were naturally beautiful but actually getting up close to one I confirm that is an understatement. She then puts her hand on my head and sent some mana which traveled through my pathways and back into her hand. ¡°How old are you Kara?¡± Elise''s expression has turned very serious. ¡°I am 5 years 3 months¡± I respond still in awe of her beauty. ¡°This is incredible your mana pool is so large for a kid your age even with royal blood. Not only that your mana so pure! Have you been cultivating your mana? If so who taught you to do so, was it court mage Abbot?¡± Damn I could claim ignorance about having a large mana pool, but the purity of my mana is going to be hard to explain I guess I will try and BS my way out of this. ¡°Cultivating mana? I dont know what that is, I do like to close my eyes and try squeeze the power in my body together, I cant explain how I do it but I just can.¡± I tried to give an explanation that makes sense. ¡°So you have been cultivating your mana without realizing it? A 5 year old with this type of mana and amount, you are surely going to be a prodigy like your sister Mandy.¡± Elise was very thrilled at my apparent potential. ¡°Lets get your status and skills looked at.¡± she then started chanting some spell after a few seconds she cast it on me. She seemed very surprised that it didn''t work. I then asked her, ¡° Do you want me to remove this ring?¡± I showed her the ring that I had that created a mini barrier. All she could do was nod after casting the spell again with same result she was very intrigued. ¡°Well this is the first time in 150 years that my analyze spell has failed. You must possess some type of Gift that is interfering. Kara have you attempted to look at your own status?¡± Elise asked ¡°I am prohibited from practicing magic by my parents they say it is too dangerous. So I have never been able to try identification magic¡± I looked at my mom with despondent eyes. I threw my overprotective mom under the bus, this is payback for not telling me about the brides maid thing. ¡°Prohibited from practicing magic? As a mage yourself you can surely guide your daughter Ria, stopping her from practicing magic is a travesty for one that has such potential. Kara needs to be guided not just bottled up for safety. Now I am not telling you how to raise your children but you must understand people with this type of mana at such a young age are extremely rare.¡± Elise somewhat lectured my mom. ¡°Fine I will personally instruct Kara when we get back to Lorrington.¡± my mother beguilingly agreed. ¡°Well I look forward to both Claire and Kara attending Mahouren in the future.¡± Elise wrapped up our meeting. After meeting with the headmaster we took a brief tour of the rest of Mahouren. This place was surely amazing. Everything you could want to do with magic whether it be enchanting, alchemy, inscription, or what ever you desired there were facilities dedicated to it here. Attending this place was going to be a blast. I am surprised that Aaron didn''t want to go here, he instead is following in Max''s footsteps in the army. We got some lunch and headed back to the estate to get ready for the reception that would happen tonight to celebrate the wedding. After taking a quick bath I went back to room to get changed. There was a maid waiting for me inside my room. On the bed is a fancy white dress, I guess the decision of my attire is not my own again. I put on my favorite garter-belt that has place to keep my dagger hidden. I then have the maid help me get dressed. ¡°Mandy said dont forget your lute.¡± the maid relayed a message to me. My lute? This means......... She wants me to play at the reception? Dammit why do I have no say over these things. Well if Mandy is requesting me I cant say no, in fact I dont think I ever have said no to her. I am surprised that they have so much faith in me to perform in front so many people. This is going to be my first performance hopefully it goes well. A few hours later I got to meet up with my Mandy right before the start of the reception. ¡°You and mom are really need to tell me about things like performing in a reception and being a brides maid. This last second ambushing is getting really annoying.¡± I vent my frustration to Mandy. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°If we said anything about it early you would simply decline, you are too shy and we dont know why. You are wonderful you should try to put yourself out there people will love you.¡± Mandy tried to explain to me. ¡°That''s exactly why I want to remain behind the scenes, you can get in trouble out in the open a lot more often then if remain behind the scenes. Getting tied up into other peoples business is something I want to avoid, I want to limit the amount of strings tied up to me. It has nothing to do with a lack of confidence¡± I explain the reason behind why I am so ''shy'' and reclusive. ¡°You know you sure dont talk like a 5 year old. I can understand the reasons why you dont want to be tied up with other people but I hate to break it to you. You are a princess strings and politics are something you are going to get tied up in whether you like it or not.¡± She continued. ¡°Anyways I know people will love your music, your instructor said she has never met someone as naturally talented as you.¡± I blushed knowing my sensei and family thought so highly of my singing ¡°Well guess I cant let you guys down, I am going to do my best.¡± I warmed up for a little bit and then I was just waiting for the reception to start. The reception itself started with a big speech from both the bride and groom and the parents. The couple basically told stories how they met each other and the parents basically talked about there children growing up as well as what they expect from them in the future. At the end of the speeches Mandy signaled for me to come on stage. ¡°I am pleased to introduce Kara, she is my younger sister as well as one of my brides maids and she going to sing us a few songs.¡± Mandy then left the stage. I had decided that I was going to sing one of Jennifer-tans songs adapted to the lute and this language. It was called ''Only one''. I play the lute intro that was originally a guitar intro and then I start to sing. ¡°? Ever since I met you my heart has been acting weird ? ¡° ¡°? It s causing me to think of you constantly ? ¡° ¡°? But with you by my side I feel I can do anything? ¡° ¡°? Don''t you dare look at anyone else because....? ¡° ¡°? I am your only one!? ¡± ¡°? Stay with we will have some fun? ¡° ¡°? Baby we can do anything? ¡° I kept singing the song and I was feeding off all the emotion in the room, it was surreal. It was a high similar to sex and everyone was entranced and charmed by me I felt so powerful at this moment. So this is how Jennifer-tan felt, no wonder she enjoyed performances so much this is fun! After my song I got a standing ovation multiple times louder then the ones the kings got after there speeches. It happened so fast that it felt like the song had only taken a few seconds but in reality it had been a few minutes. I sang a few mores songs that were equally appreciated and finally retired to get food and sit down for the next act. The second I headed to the food table I was swarmed by everyone. ¡°Marry me! I am in love¡± another person said ¡° You have captured my heart take responsibility¡± oddly that one was a girl. Many many more people started to swarm me and propose or thank me for a wonderful performance. Ugh this is bad I have charmed everyone here. Now they are fighting over me. The guards finally showed up and escorted me away. When we finally got to the food table we were blocked off by a group that had even more guards then us. ¡°Get out of my way weakling¡± I large man who was extremely muscular dressed in really fancy armor pushed away one of my guards like he was a rag doll. I used analyze on him.
Status Window
Name:Darius LionbladeTitle:KingRace:HumanGender:Male
Class:WarriorSubclass:CommanderAge:35Level:75
Titles
The Tyrant King, Warrior King of Rendil
Resources
Health:11500/11500Mana:500/500Stamina:15500/15500
Stats
Strength:615Intelligence:70Agility:425Charisma:315
Wisdom:50Precision/aim:65Vitality:450Luck:40
Holy shit this guy is strong. Definitely stronger then anyone I have analyzed. His aura is intimidating. He is the king of Rendil which is the 2nd biggest human country and the country with the largest army. It is one of only 2 countries that still have slavery and from what I have researched life there is pretty miserable. ¡°I am Darius king of Rendil. Woman I liked your singing. So I would like to make you one of my wives¡± Darius said it like I should be honored. ¡°Sorry, King Darius I am only 5 years old I dont even want to start to think about marriage for at least 10 more years and anyways I wouldn''t want to be a queen in a country that still allows slavery.¡± I tried to decline him politely but he really disgusts me so it was hard. ¡°In our country the strong rule the weak, slavery is just a by product of that. Also I can marry anyone I want to regardless of age this is because what I say is law in my country since I am the strongest¡± Darius simply stated. Well thank god I dont live in your barbaric country I thought. ¡°Well if you are going to press me for an answer right now then I decline sorry I want to live have my childhood and go to Mahouren academy before I make any type of decision.¡± ¡°You will come around to me. I always get what I want.¡± Darius said and left with a smile on his face. That guy is bad news I thought. I better let dad know that I will kill myself before I marry that pedophile barbarian. The rest of the evening I continued to get barraged by marriage proposals. I didn''t realize there was so many lolicons in this world. *********************************************- Darius POV I just finished watching a fight in the coliseum here in Toulia it was pretty boring. The demon straight up outclassed the human he was fighting. I kind of want to go and fight myself but it would be boring as well. Jeez this is the most boring vacation ever. I ask one of my advisers if there is anything to do here and I am informed there is wedding reception of royalty. This peeks my interest. The countries our Jabel and Termain. Whatever maybe I can find a hot concubine there so we head over. I arrive and even though I was not officially invited I strong-arm the guards into letting me crash the party. Anyways the 2 kings are giving a speech. Still bored well whatever let me see if I can find a good lay for tonight. Well the bride looks quite juicy blonde hair big boobs just my type. Guess she taking her might cause some issues, wait who is she introducing. Well a little young for my tastes but she is cute, you can tell she is going to develop into a nice lay when she grows up. She then starts to sing and it is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I cant take my eyes off her she has me charmed like I have never been before. I will have her I might be plucking this flower premature but I will let her bloom in a vase before I enjoy her. After she is done singing I approach her and propose to her. Unfortunately she is a princess so I cant demand her like I want. She says she is only 5! I thought she was at least 10 she is going to really develop in the future. She is knowledgeable about the slavery in my country. Sorry but women dont have a place in men''s politics well unless they are strong and strong women are rare. She declines me hardly surprising since she is only a child. She doesn''t understand that to marry me is not her decision it is mine. I go and talk to her father and explain to him that I want his daughter. He tells me that he respects his children s decisions and will talk to her about it reminding me she is far to young to marry away. He is just stalling, Termain and Rendil have never had a good relationship. Whatever I will take what I want like I always do. I summon an acquaintance of mine inside the city. ¡°Roland I have a mission for you and your mercenaries......¡± Chapter 7 The Start of an Unlikely Journey Chapter 7 The start of a unlikely journey. ¡°Father I believe I have attracted the attention of someone troublesome at the reception Darius was his name¡± I tell father after the wedding reception. ¡°Indeed, that bastard wasnt even invited, dont worry I would never give you up to a barbarian like that.¡± Father reassured me. ¡°He doesn''t seem like the type to take no as an answer, do you have any plans on how to deal with him?¡± I am curious how father is going to handle this. ¡°Its simple in our country you have to be at least 13 to officially be engaged or married. Those are the laws of our country if he doesn''t like them its too bad, we are not going give in to his desires. I doubt he could afford a war between us he is already fighting a war with the beast-kin who are upset over the slavery in his country.¡± Dad explained. ¡°Well that is good news.¡± I am happy that me causing a war is unlikely I didn''t want to become Helen from Troy. ¡°We are however going to get you back to Lorrington as soon as possible and as secretive as possible. You should say goodbye to Mandy it may be awhile before you meet her again.¡± Father said and then left to arrange my transport. Damn this what I get for going along with Mandy and mothers little games. I wont lie it is fun being the center of attention, but now I am a target which is scary. I really need to say no once in a while I am too nice to Mandy. I head over to where Mandy and Felix are which is at the head table of the reception hall. ¡°Well if it isn''t the little angel Kara who stole the heart of my little brother Richard as well as everyone at the reception¡± Felix said to me . He is calling me an angel? Actually Kara is the name of one of the Valkyries, which is similar but not quite the same as an angel in my old world. I simply nodded to him, ¡° Can I borrow my sister for a few minutes? I need to talk to her in private, family stuff.¡± Mandy could see the troubled look on my face and told Felix she would be right back. She then led me to a back room within the kitchen that was unoccupied. I then explained the situation to Mandy doing my best to prevent her from feeling guilty, this was very much my fault and not hers. I didn''t succeed at all though. ¡°This is all my fault Kara I am so sorry. I dont think I will ever forgive myself, you always do your best for me and now you are in a terrible situation.¡± Kara was crying pretty bad. ¡°No this is all my fault Mandy, for some reason I cant say no to you I never have. I love you too much. Anyways dad is going to take care of it.¡± I hope so at least. ¡°I dont know what I can do to make it right I feel so helpless.¡± Mandy couldn''t bring herself to stop crying. I then hugged her and embraced her. We hugged for a minute straight and finally I said to her. ¡°If you feel responsible, then you can owe me one favor down the road that you must oblige for me no matter what. It would be something within your power and within reason I assure you.¡± I offered her a chance to repay what ever debt she felt she owed this is all I could think of to make her feel better. ¡°I potentially ruin your life and all that you want is one favor? That is not equ......¡± Mandy is cut off by my hand covering her mouth. ¡°Its fine, anyways I am leaving probably tonight so I just wanted to say goodbye since I dont know how long it is going to be until we can meet again.¡± After a tight hug and an exchange of '' I love you''s, I headed back to where dad was. Dad leaned in and whispered to me, ¡° Its all set I have arranged you transport, Its going to be inside a wagon and not a carriage so you dont stick out. You will have 20 guards disguised as merchants. We wont even give that bastard a chance to get his hands on you. You leave in a few hours while finish arranging everything in secret.¡± Yes I must agree even though the possibility that he would make a move for me here in Toulia is small, its better to get me out now before they can plot something. Since we will appear as merchants there will be no flags that come up from people watching the gates. This is a very well thought out plan I thought, I guess my dad really does love me after all. Time to go back get my things ready. *********************************************************** Jonas POV My name is Jonas and I find myself in a terrible situation. I am 42 years old and have a wife and 2 kids here in the city of Toulia. For a profession, I drive wagons and carriages . I am also in deep with the wrong kind of people. You see I have a gambling problem, I like to bet on fights in the coliseum but I am not very good at it, in fact I owe those bad people a large amount of money I have been giving them what I can scrape up from my job but its only barely covering the interest. My luck is looking up though! A man whom said he was a merchant needed me to transport some goods from here to Lorrington and was paying really well he needed to leave tonight. Which was weird why couldn''t it wait for morning I thought. A matter fact everything about this merchant seemed off. He obviously could hold his own in a fight based upon he appearance. Also the way he talked is way too formal. Plus he didn''t even haggle the price with me. This guy is no merchant he is a guard! They must be moving some really valuable cargo this might be a chance for me to get free of the debt collectors! After I agree to the commission I tell my workers to ready the wagon. I told them I would be right back. I am going to see if my information is worth enough to get me out of this debt. I head down to there hideout and explain the situation that an apparent guard from Lorrington is transporting some important cargo in a few hours and that the request seemed really fishy. The guy I talk to goes back in the building, and comes back with another person. This guy is probably the boss he looks tough with scars everywhere on him. ¡°Hello Jonas I am Roland its nice to meet you. The information you brought is worth clearing of your debt and some extra, all you have to do is........¡± ****************************************************** Roland POV I cant believe my luck! Termain almost pulled a fast one on us but miraculously an informant fell right in my lap. I have to make sure this isn''t just a diversion or trap, but so far it seems legit. The informant owed us a lot of money but it paled in comparison to the amount we are going to get for this kidnapping. He probably doesn''t even know the cargo is a princess. I told him to abandon his wagon and release the horses as he crossed the bridge over the river Coll, which is by a giant forest that separates Termain and Jabel. A perfect place for an ambush. This is gong to be too easy. ********************************************************** Kara POV All the preparations have been made. I am going to be riding in this wagon for several days. I thought the carriage was hell but at least it had padded seats. They gave me a hooded cloak and regular clothes to wear, they were definitely a lot more comfortable then what I am use to. The man driving the wagon seems really nervous, I was introduced as one of the guards daughters as a cover. Does he see through the lies we gave him? While unlikely I will have to keep an eye on him. There are a bunch of crates loaded on the wagon, I am pretty sure they are empty or maybe they have like rice in them. This is just a front for the true cargo which is me. This is so frustrating, having to do all this because one A hole king. I need to get stronger again, this break was fun but I am definitely out of my slump now. I actually am excited to start training again now that I have a target. Also mother said she would teach me magic, I am still at the basic stage of magic I can cast up to level 2 of most spells but when she starts to teach me I will have to relearn everything again. Well I guess I should try and get some rest. I wake up after 5 hours it appears we have made a quick camp for some rest. Continuing as scheduled using my gift for distance at this pace we will reach the border of Termain at night fall, those woods are dangerous they have high level beasts in them. So I imagine we will push through the night before we make camp again. I wonder how many of these guards know I am a princess? My identity is a need to know basis to limit chances of a leak, so I am assuming that no more then a few of the guards know. I walk up one of the guards who looks young, probably just finished training maybe he is 14. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Quick spar before we set off again?¡± I asked him grabbing 2 wooden swords from a crate that the soldiers use to keep practice things. I threw him the sword. ¡°Are you sure you are a girl?!¡± He just barely blocked my attack to his face. ¡°A woman will kill you no different then a man on the battlefield, dont mistake chivalry for stupidity.¡± I tell him letting him stand up and take a stance. He is level 20 which is amazing for his age I guess our army''s military has a great training program. I am currently level 12, I actually leveled up a few time during my performance at the reception, but my level 12 is more like lvl 30 since I get a lot more stats per level from my gift. We are having a fun little match, I am holding back but it is still fun for me. His form is fairly decent but I can find several holes. I quickly slash down and twist my body at an angle to expose one of them. ¡° You hold your sword too far out, you cant react to a quick change of attack mid-swing as well. Try holding it without locking your arms out as much.¡± I coach him up. That''s a lot better I think as he is a lot more flexible with his guard. After a few more minutes I feel satisfied and end the match. ¡°Wow you surely are the daughter of sir William. I cant believe I was outclassed by a younger lady¡± oh right that was the guard who was in charge and I was pretending to be his daughter. ¡°What can I say she comes from good stock¡± William who was watching came up to me and patted me on the shoulder ¡°why dont you come with me to breakfast ''daughter''¡± ¡°Sure but can I get your name young man?¡± I already knew it with the gift I wanted to give him the chance to have the honor of introducing himself. ¡°Of course, I am Mathias Grimwald, and your name young lady?¡± he asked. Shit it would be rude for someone to give there own name and for me not give them my own. But I needed to use an alias this William never told me his surname but I know its William Craft because gift-san. Hmmm Kara Craft doesn''t work. How bout Lara like tomb raider? I like that a lot lets go with that. ¡°Its Lara, Lara Craft¡± tomb raider I added mentally well Craft wasnt Croft but what ever its close enough in my book. Sitting down enjoying breakfast with everyone was great. This informal setting was such a relief for me compared to the prim and proper way eating I have grown up to. We broke camp and got ready to depart once again. William pulled me aside to talk to me privately. ¡°Your highness, I cant believe how good with a sword you are!¡± William quickly praised me after seeing my fight earlier with Mathias. ¡°Well I am a quick learner and Max has given me a few lessons¡± its not totally untrue but it is stretching the truth pretty far. ¡°By the way William who all knows about my real identity? In this group?¡± I ask. ¡°I am the only one who knows your identity, this is to prevent leaks. Back to your sword skills, just a few lessons doesn''t explain how you upstaged a recent graduate of our military school you must be really practicing! Its astonishing how much talent at everything you possess at a young age prodigy doesn''t do you justice, I know you will do great things in the future for Termain.¡± William stated. ¡°I just wish I wasnt so sheltered, if I could truly train without restraint I think I could push my limits and become truly strong.¡± I kind of said what was on my mind out loud. ¡°Princess you dont speak like a princess at all, you speak like a young warrior. I am sure your parents only have your safety in mind when holding you back. I guess its time to depart.¡± William responded. The guards all got back to there horses and I went back to the wagon, and we departed again. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, only saw a couple of merchants on the road. Ir was starting to get dark again as we approached the boarder of Termain. Something didn''t feel right usually I could hear the sounds of animals and wild beasts as we traveled, yet all I heard was silence. My warrior''s intuition told me to stay alert. We started to go over a bridge it went over the river Coll that separated the two countries. Midway on the bridge we suddenly stopped, I quickly went to check on the driver he had released the horses pulling the wagon and was running to the other end of the bridge. Whats this bandits? The driver says something to the bandits and after a slight pause the bandits cut him down ruthlessly. This is strange what was the driver doing? Did he try and sell us out and then get back stabbed? That''s my take, anyways I can use identify on the bandits and these are no bandits, only dressed up like them they appear to be mercenaries. There leader name is Roland hes level 40, not terribly high but higher then most of the guards here and there were like 25 mercenaries. OK we will retreat. I look at our retreat path in horror as there were another 20 some mercenaries coming up the rear. This is a clear pincer attack, this ambush was perfectly sprung and we have no way of winning I think. ¡°Mathias I want you to come here.¡± William called to the young soldier. Once Mathias got close enough he whispered into his ear I am guessing the fact that I was not actually his daughter. ¡° You will protect her we will clear a path for you two to escape¡± ¡°But I can help fight¡± me and Mathias both said in unison. ¡°No this is what must happen please dont fight me on this. The girl must escape and return to Lorrington.¡± William pleaded desperately. ¡°Now get ready we haven''t much time, both of you ride my horse he is the fastest here¡± ¡°I dont know how to ride a horse¡± I stated, it is true even though it would take me little time to learn how. Mathias got on the horse and extended his hand, I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up to the horse. I could have easily climbed up myself but I figured I would let him have the honor. ¡° Hold on tight¡±. He told me. I wrapped my arms around him, through his chain mail his body was very solid. He definitely was fit and muscular for his age, I didn''t feel anything ''weird'' from holding on to him just admiration of his hard work. ¡°OK wait for us to make an opening and then take it¡± William said. He cast a little fire ball on the wagon and it lit on fire he then kicked it backward down the bridge to cut off the enemies coming from our flank. William charged forward with all the other members that were sent to escort me and attacked Roland''s group. This is crazy I thought, this is the first real battle I have witnessed. Even though people are dying right and left I cant help but feel excited this is an effect on my wargod blessing. It takes a lot of willpower not to jump off and join the fray, but these guys are sacrificing themselves for us to escape. The guards have pushed in the outside of there force in slightly and Mathias instantly takes it. Success! We made it to the other side of the bridge through there forces. Immediately though I grab Mathias and pull him off the horse and we come tumbling down on the ground. The horse a few steps latter was snagged up by a net trap, I was able to see it thanks to my low light vision as well as my battle intuition. ¡°That was a close one¡± I say as I help pick up Mathias and we ventured into the forest. They were shooting crossbows at us as we disappeared into the forest. After a short period like of running following the bank I heard Mathias coughing very coarsely and heard him throw up. I turned to check on him in horror as what he had thrown up was blood, he had taken an arrow in between his nape and right shoulder. He had been shot in his lung, I having experienced a collapsed lung can understand the ramifications of his injury. ¡°Just leave me. They are just going to track my blood I could lead them away from you princess.¡± Mathias has tears in his eyes. ¡°I cant just leave you with your injuries you will die. We need to find somewhere we can hide and I can see what I can do about your injuries.¡± my healing magic is definitely my worse by far I had trouble healing big cuts. However I had alchemy so saving him wasnt totally out the question if I got lucky with the right herbs. The mercenaries would surely rout William and his men so once that happened it would become a tracking mission for them and with Mathias leaking blood even a novice could track us. Between the mercenaries tracking us down and the wild beasts wanting to eat us in the forest this would not be easy. Chapter 8 Rumble in the Jungle Chapter 8 Rumble in the Jungle Ok I need to think rationally here. I have a little bit of time before our pursuers are onto us, Mathias needs medical attention. I need to remove the arrow cauterize the wound and hopefully I can whip together a tonic to deal with internal bleeding that is definitely not a given though. ¡°Mathias I need your sword for a second¡± I ask him for his sword and he gives it to me I cut a long strip off my cloak, I then I summon a fireball into my hand and heat up the tip of the sword for a while. ¡° This is going to really really hurt bite on to this¡± I then fold up the strip of cloth and stick it in his mouth. In one quick motion I break off the front of the arrow and then pull out the back part of it. Mathias screams out but it is muffled by the cloth in his mouth. I then take the sword that I heated up and used it to cauterize both the entrance and exit wounds ignoring the squirting of blood. I can hear his breathing heavily taxed, he has lost a lot of blood and one lung is slowly filling with blood . I need to find a place for him to hide while I lead our pursuers away from him, I then will circle back hopefully spotting some potential herbs to make a tonic. If all goes well I can avoid him going into shock from blood loss before I finish. I notice a natural cave up ahead, at least I have some luck I can have him stay there. I lead Mathias up the cave, its pretty small but it will do for now. Being mid-summer the temperature is warm but since its close to night time it will get colder and he lost a lot of blood, I want to start a campfire but the smoke will be visible guess he will have to tough it out for a while. Another concern is monsters attacking him but I guess I will just have to roll the dice on that for now. ¡°Just leave me*cough*, I will only slow you down and get you caught.¡± Mathias once again wanted me to abandon him. ¡°I already told you I wasn''t going to abandon you. Now I cant promise you I can save your life so don''t thank me yet. I still have to play Rambo in the forest with our mercenary friends and then spot some plants I need for a tonic¡± I explained to Mathias my plans. ¡°Play Rambo? I never heard of that game.¡± Mathias didn''t understand. ¡°Oh its like hide and go seek but with deadly traps and sneak attacks, Ok I got to go, hold on I will do my best to come back¡± I said simply. I think he tried to tell me to leave him again but I wasn''t listening. Its amazing how effective earth magic is at making traps I made several basic pitfall traps heading back to where I fixed up Mathias''s wound. I didn''t have a lot of time so this is the best I could do with my current level of earth magic. Add in a few trip vines for inconvenience and a pool of water to slow people down. That''s all the time I had before I could hear the first scouts approach. ¡°Oye it looks like they stopped here to treat the wound, you better hope you didn''t hit the girl and now she is dead it would be your ass¡± one of the mercenaries said to another who was the one who shot arrows at us when we entered the forest. The scouting party is only 5 people I am surprised the guards must of done some serious damage to the mercenaries. I am sure there are more on the way though. The 5 mercs then split up to search this area for a trail. I made sure to eliminate any trail towards the cave and left several dummy trails leading into pitfall traps. After a couple of minutes go by I hear a loud scream of someone having falling victim of one my traps. I sneak up to a tree by the pit I can hear the moans of someone in pain. A couple mercenaries come to investigate the scream and are shocked to find one of there comrades at the bottom of a pit impaled by several stone spikes. ¡° He is still alive let me put him out of his misery¡± the mercenary with the crossbow said. Right as both mercenaries have there full attention on the guy at the bottom of pit fall, I pull out my dagger and approach the one without the cross bow from behind. Right as the crossbow shots the guy barely clinging to life in the pit I drop kick with all my strength the poor fool forward into the pit to join his buddy. Internally I am screaming ''This is Sparta!''. No scream from the victim this time as he was impaled through the head on the way down. ¡°What the..¡± stunned the mercenary tried to gauge the situation but it was too late I already had stabbed him through the heart and all he could do was look onto me in surprise as I pulled out my dagger and used a leg sweep to trip him down and finished with a simple head kick knocking him out. He would bleed out before ever waking up. I quickly looted him because I knew that the other two could be coming as well I got a crossbow and a stack of bolts and a coin purse. I heard rustling in the bushes but this time it wasn''t mercenaries it was a monster. It was a a level 30 Gigalizard I quickly backed away letting him eat the mercenary who was bleeding out currently. I am cold heated killer, I think to myself I remember having difficulties after killing someone as Taiko, but as Kara I feel no remorse in fact I rather enjoyed killing! I must be a real sick princess huh. This has got to do with the war-god blessing I suppose. I guess if I feel you are my enemy I will not hesitate to kill you and I wont any sense of empathy from it. I truly am a monster after all. Well whatever this makes what I have to do easier. I sneak around looking for the other 2 scouts, it looks like they were able to detect one of the traps I had set up and threw a rock into it to activate it. They are not concerned about the earlier scream, probably they figured it was a monster that caused the scream. I hope no monsters have made it to Mathias he is in no shape to defend himself. I hear some footsteps up ahead and approach them stealthily. It appears the two followed a set of my fake tracks to the pitfall and now are trying to pick up new tracks. ¡°That was a nasty trap back there probably made with earth magic. You don''t think that little girl managed that do you? Could it have been here a long time?¡± The man was spot on I did use earth magic, it was only level 3 earth magic though nothing super impressive and I used a decent amount of mana. ¡°Traps and on top that beasts in the forest that go all the way up to level 50. We are getting paid too little.¡± He continued. His buddy was looking around and took off his helmet to wipe off some sweat from his face, I didn''t miss the opportunity and aimed with the crossbow and fired. Aiming for his head I was slightly off, being the first time I shot this thing it was to be expected thankfully it was off low and the arrow nestled itself it the target''s throat. ¡°That scream earlier It sounded bad, HEY no laying down on the job!¡± the loud mouth said as he approached his friend. Whom was now laying down. I try to take advantage of this situation and again approached from behind. ¡°Shit! I didn''t sign up for this¡± he vented out loud in horror realizing his buddy had been shot in the throat. I went to back stab him but he detected me at the last second and turned enough making my dagger glance harmlessly off his armor. ¡°You were going for my back? How cunning but now you can drop that little dagger and come with me I am going to deliver you to boss Roland and get a big bonus.¡± The mercenary said. ¡°You really think you can capture me? I have already disposed of your 4 buddies.¡± I said intimidatingly. ¡°Hah that''s a bluff if I ever heard one. They probably are killing your buddy as we speak anyways I am going take you by force even if I have to injure you badly and then use my healing tonic on you.¡± I am so happy to hear he has a tonic I hope it is at least a mid-level one. The mercenary then lunged at me with his sword I guess he wasn''t lying about injuring me. I simply dodged to the side. I looked for an opening and didn''t find one that exposed a vital spot, this guy is pretty decent for level 33. I started to run away and he chased me ¡°I wont let you get away¡± he says. I lead him to where I had the small pond and I stop on a patch of land in the middle ¡°Giving up after such a short chase, well you are a little girl so I guess its to be expected.¡± He didn''t realize he had feel into my trap. I cast lightning strike I bet he is super surprised because I did it without chanting, I wasn''t real great at aiming lightning because I couldn''t train magic like I wanted to but with the water there I could miss him and still hit him with it. As the lightning struck he collapsed in the water stunned sort of like he was tasered. I run up to him through the water and slide my dagger into the back of his head after ripping off his helmet ending the last of the scouting party. I searched him and found the healing tonic, some coins, and some rations. I headed back to Mathias. Mathias was unconscious I felt a pulse but it was weak. I tilted his head forward and poured the tonic down his throat is was a mid level healing tonic which is a quite valuable item in this world I was lucky mister talks too much had it. I split the rations it was just some bread and left the other half with Mathias when he wakes up, there was nothing more I could do for him, if that healing tonic didn''t work he was screwed anyways I wanted to go check on the situation at the bridge it had been over an hour since we left there I need to assess the situation. I am sure it wont be long before they notice the scouting party has disappeared. I leave Mathias making sure there are no more monsters in the area. I sneak around in the forest making use of my high sneak skill and my low-light vision. I come up to where I can see the bridge far away and try and make out what has been going on. It seems William and the other guards did some serious damage I saw less then 20 mercenaries left, I bet the mercenaries did not think they would sustain casualties like this. They have a campfire going and it looks like they are trying to reorganize there forces. It was now full-blown night time and it would hard to track me at night. They probably feared that forest killed me and all this death was for nothing, I am sure that they will still look for my body though to confirm it. I wont forgive them though, ruining my life and taking all these good men''s lives of my country. I came to really like William and now he was gone, all because of greed. Greed of a payday for these mercenaries, and greed of a pedophile king who wants me as his wife. That bastard doesn''t have the balls to come and kidnap me himself because he doesn''t want to start a war on a second front. I guess I will head back I want to check on the corpses in the pitfall I didn''t get to loot the 2 that had fallen in. When I get back to where the 3 bodies were at the pitfall I am astounded, the Gigalizard now had like 12 buddies one of them who looked special he was level 41 and was colored crimson red. They were all going to town on the corpses having dragged out the other 2 from the trap. The original crossbow guy was now just a skeleton having been picked clean and the other 2 were not far from that. I should be super grossed out but I am amazed how fast the corpse became a skeleton. Then a crazy idea pops into my head. As much as I convince myself it is a bad idea I cant deny how amazing it could turn out. I may not get another opportunity like this again, so I psych myself up and shot my crossbow at the special looking Gigalizard I am no longer sneaking and am making noise on purpose to attract the gigalizards attention. The special red Gigalizard makes a deep hiss and starts to come after me, as do all the other gigalizards. That was the easy part now here comes the hard part, kiting them to the merc camp. I am concentrating so hard right now as I make my way through the forest, sneaking is one thing but running is a different thing. If I make one misstep and trip I am so dead, these gigalizards are not slow and I am just barely keeping a safe distance from them. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. As I get close to the mercenaries camp I notice that there is a couple of guys on look out. I am coming from the forest so it is likely they are going to hear me and the gigalizards soon. I decide I am going to try and disorient them before the attack comes. I conjure a fire ball, and cast it at one the tents towards the outside of the camp it was at the very edge of my casting range and it wasn''t easy at all to aim it so precisely from far away but I managed I credit the adrenaline of death chasing me. The tent quickly catches on fire drawing everyone''s attention. I make my move cutting through the encampment while they are focused on the burning tent. ¡°Fire! Are we under attack?¡± Roland quickly tries to figure out whats going on. One of the mercenaries is able to cast water magic and douse the fire out. ¡°Whats that noise? Attack!¡± Roland notices the gigalizards. I quickly make my way to the other side the camp unnoticed by the mercenaries. I am now sneaking back into the woods catching my breath, that was a close call I only had 200 stamina left. I now am going to enjoy watching from the woods. ¡°The hell such a big monster attack in the middle of the night. Someone is behind this keep your eyes and ears peeled.¡± Roland was obviously upset. The fight between the monsters and the mercs is in favor of the mercs. I pull out my crossbow and I find a nice target a mercenary that must have been sleeping because he didn''t have his armor on. I release the shot and it lodges itself in the mercenary back in the middle. His feet give out on him as he falls down and he is quickly surrounded by gigalizards to finish him off. ¡°Hey in the woods over there fire arrows.¡± Roland noticed the where the shot came from which is quite impressive. Its fine though I have long moved from that spot. I release another arrow and this time I am going after archers this time I hit in the abdomen not a fatal shot but definitely going to hinder him. I continue my sneak attacks scoring several kills which is really causing the soldiers to feel very uneasy, like there is sniper that could target them at any time making there focus not 100% on the monsters. Over the next few minutes each side started to thin each others ranks, there is now only a handful gigalizards and mercenaries left. It seems like my sniping from the woods has really equalized the two forces but I only had a couple more bolts left. The special Gigalizard and Roland have just started fighting and there are 4 other mercs fighting the 3 gigalizards that were left. I sneak up on the last archer that remained and pull out my favorite dagger. My sneak has actually leveled up with this fight it is up to level 7 now. I quickly backstabed the last archer through the opening in his armor, I am sure I hit vertebra based on the initial resistance to my attack and the fact his lower body immediately went limp. After collapsing forward I quickly finished the surprised archer off with a dagger to the back of the head, this is becoming my go to spot for quick and silent executions with the stiletto like dagger. Now turning my focus to rest of the mercenaries whom are now aware of my presence but are too busy to act on it. I now cast a lightning strike and it nails one of the mercenaries who wasn''t stunned but quite staggered from it. ¡°You grace us with your presence, you know I think I might kill you after all the hell we been through capturing you, I have lost almost every man I have brought out here Darius is going to need to pay a lot extra for you.¡± Roland said while dodging a tail swing from the red Gigalizard ¡°So it was Darius I am happy you let that slip, I was fairly certain he was behind this but now you have confirmed it for me. Anyways I will deal with him after I kill you and the rest of your men.¡± I coldly state. ¡°Big words from a little girl I will collect you after I deal with these beasts.¡± Roland confidently stated. I cast another lightning strike which finishes off one of the mercenary''s. ¡°This little girl wiped out your scout team and all of your archers, and now is finishing off you.¡± The fighting is now down to me Roland and the red Gigalizard I could see that the Gigalizard was at a quarter health while Roland was at three quarters I needed to whittle down Roland more before we 1v1 and my mana was low I didn''t want to run out and fall unconscious. I picked up a 2 swords from the fallen mercenaries and began my assault on Roland''s flank. ¡°My goodness able to silent cast lightning strikes, deadly with a bow, deadly with a dagger, and formidable with swords. What are you, you are definitely not a normal princess, you are closer to being a monster? Are you possessed by a demigod or perhaps reincarnated from another realm?¡± His last question surprised me and his last parry on my last attack staggered me backward as I became unfocused for a split second. So there was knowledge of reincarnated people? I figured that the founder of Mahouren was reincarnated but perhaps it isn''t too uncommon. ¡°I am just Kara that''s all you need to know.¡± I say to him. He finally finished off the red Gigalizard with a stab to its head and turned his attention to me. My fighting style is almost exactly like a blade dancer, my attacks are quick and sudden and my defense relies almost solely on evasion and trickery. I went with the dual sword style over single sword style because Roland defense is too good he has a reach advantage on me against simple exchanges. The downside to this is I blow through my stamina quicker which was an educated risk since he was already damaged from the previous fight and I need burst to take him down quickly. ¡°You realize this is futile, you may have surprised my men but you are after all just a little girl¡± Roland says arrogantly. He has a point I don''t think I can beat him here few of my attacks have landed and I sort of feel like hes toying with me. I guess even with the stat buffs my level is too inferior to his at this point in time. This is becoming a battle of attrition which me having inferior stamina is going to lose. ¡°You are getting tired I can see it. Your spirit may not give up but your body has a finite limit and its approaching fast.¡± God this guy pisses me off. He still has a third of his health left and my stamina is down now under 100. My muscles are so tired I am fighting everything from collapsing. Once again he parries my attack and this time I cant muster enough resistance from falling back on my butt. I am so tired I cant get up, I suppose this is the end my stamina is all gone and I just sit there as Roland approaches me. Damn it I came so close to killing off all these bastards. Roland walks up and kicks me in the head I cant move so I just accept the incoming blackness. ********************************************************************** Mathias POV ` I cant believe I am awake right now, when I was losing consciousness last time I was sure that I would never awaken. The princess said that she would try and heal me though I was pretty sure that it was just to comfort me. There is some food here, rationed bread I eat it. Where in the heck did the princess go, I hope she ran away far away. Yet something told me she was doing something stupid, only having meet her a short time I can tell she is overly confident. I see a couple tracks coming out of the cave headed to the water she used the river to cover her tracks which was headed back to where we escaped from. Is she stupid? What was she doing at this time of night? I follow the river back to by where the bridge was on the the side of the river away from the bridge I see a scene that is very disturbing. There are bodies everywhere of both men and giant lizards that have sharp claws and teeth. Then I seen Kara on the ground there is only one mercenary left and he just kicked Kara in the head! I charge in to defend the idiot princess who gotten herself caught. ¡°How nice of you to show it saves me the trouble of tracking you down and killing you latter.¡± Roland now has his attention on me. He decently bloody he is definitely not 100%, but this guy has scars all over him, you can tell he has been through a lot of battles. ¡°How dare you kick the princess shes just a little girl!¡± I yell still upset over what I just saw. ¡°Little girl? She is far too dangerous to be classified as a little girl. I think I might keep her for myself after seeing what kind of potential she has Ill just tell my contractor that she was killed. She will of course service in another way too when she gets older.¡± Roland now is inciting my anger and its working damn it. I swing too heavy and he counters me landing a nice cut across my chest. I was not healed all the way from earlier each attack he lands counts for more then if I was fresh. I see an opening on his offhand and attack it, only to realize it was to draw me in to an attack. I dodged the attack but there was no need it was a feint and he scored and another cut across my legs. Damn this guy is crafty. After a few more strikes he finally got me good with a stab through the abdomen after dazing me with a headbutt. After removing his sword I collapsed on the ground. Damn I was going to be the hero and save the princess but now I am just going to lay here on the ground dying watching the bad guy take away the princess. ******************************************************************* Kara POV I awaken and my head really hurts, Roland didn''t hold back on that kick. I am surprised I am not tied up though. I can hear Roland is fighting something maybe a beast as I hear a sword hit something metal though maybe a random adventurer or traveler intervened. I am too tired to get up and help them but do grab my dagger and slide into my sleeve hiding it. I now am going to pretend I am still knocked out. After I hear the fighting stop I can hear footsteps approach me and through the gap in my eyelid I can see Roland lean down to me probably to pick me up or tie me up. As soon as he grabs my left arm, I with all my remaining strength slam my dagger which is in my right arm hidden in the sleeve into Roland''s throat then I twist it around and pull it out. Shocked Roland sits back gasping for air as blood gushed out from his jugular. I stand up and spit in his face. I enjoy watching him struggle in the last seconds of his life after all he made me go through tonight. I sigh finally this nightmare is over I look at the carnage of this nights fight. Then my whole world comes crashing down as I realize that Mathias is laying there bleeding badly. ¡°No you are suppose to be resting in the cave! What are doing here?!¡± I am in tears, I really came to like Mathias and he is clearly dying. I start gong through the dead mercs left and right looking for a miracle tonic to save him it would have to be at least a high tonic. ¡°I was just being stupid like our princess. Why couldn''t you just ran away back to Lorrington like a good girl hahaha.¡± Mathias was having trouble speaking. ¡°Just hold out longer I am just need to find something to cure you.¡± I pleaded to him wanting him to hold on. ¡°Its ok I was suppose to be dead earlier anyways. Just to know that you are not captured by that creep is enough to make me rest easy.¡± Mathias closed his eyes after this for good. I never did find the miracle to save him. He reminded myself of Taiko so much it was scary, I will make sure Darius pays in full for what he has caused, rest easy my first friend. I am just going sit here and cry for a while, I am a little girl so I am allowed to cry for as long as I want. Chapter 9 A Very Selfish Decision Chapter 9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I am working up a map to post with the next chapter so you guys can see the continent of Solus clearly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A very selfish decision So much death around me, and yet I remain I thought being blessed by the gods was suppose to be a good thing, instead I have become a calamity to the people around me. William, Mathias, and all the guards sent to escort me are dead, because of me. All because I couldn''t say no to my sister Mandy''s request to sing, because deep down inside I wanted people to acknowledge that I had a talent other then fighting. I just wanted to make people happy with my singing, and I have ended up here. I even could have given up on revenge for William and his men, I mean I didn''t really know them that long. I could just have returned to Lorrington with Mathias....... And he would still be here. I cried so hard for him. Was it because I liked him? Maybe it was the fact I saw myself in him and I knew the struggles he went through at a young age, or maybe I felt solely responsible for his death. Any way you look at it his death struck me real hard. All of these men sacrificed themselves for my safety and I am about to make a decision that will make them all turn in there graves. This idiot princess is about to make one hell of a selfish decision. I have to do it for my future as well as the future of Lorrington. The decision is not an easy one in fact it is the hardest decision I have ever made. The decision is ¡°I will not return to Lorrington¡± I said it out loud just to confirm to myself what I was doing. Although I know it will cause my family a lot of grief here in the short term, I need to get stronger at least strong enough to take Darius. Not only that but now that people know about the Songstress Princess(its a title I got at the reception) my days would be filled with meeting nobles trying to garner favor with me in hopes of a marriage. People would even fight over me as I come of age. I know I can aid Termain a lot more on the battlefield then as some political piece. I will apologize down the road when the time comes, hopefully they can find it in there hearts to forgive me for making them grieve for me. I would fake my own death it will be easy, I will just plant my royal ring here in this campsite among the charred bodies of William and the guards, which Roland had taken the liberty to cremate. Most likely to destroy evidence and keep monsters away. Down the road if I ever need to prove my royalty I could use my dagger which had the Rosewood symbol or simply use a spell to share my status, I think it could work that way. I am sure that this camp sight will be discovered not before long, probably by morning since it is just off the main road into Termain from Toulia. People don''t typically like to travel through dangerous woods at night where you cant see anything. I couldn''t find any direct evidence on Roland to link him to Darius so politically my dad isn''t going to be able to retaliate the way he wants to but to him it will be pretty obvious who was behind this. I did however get some really nice goodies off Roland. I took his sword that when I used analyze it told me it was the quality of masterwork, he also had a very cool ring that was enchanted with space-time magic. It was a spacial ring, and inside it had a lot more goodies. I found William''s sword that was just below masterwork, I would use it as my second sword. I also found an even better hooded cloak that was enchanted to help concealment. Oh yeah he had a lot of gold in there too, like a shit ton. I wonder if he kept all his money here because there was easily over a 500 gold pieces. 1 gold is equal to 100 silver, 100 copper is equal to 1 silver. A well made set of plate armor made by a good smith cost between 5-10 gold custom made. I don''t know why this guy still worked, maybe he had too much fun doing his job. I looted a few other things before I left too, I restocked on as many crossbow bolts as I could find. Also the red gigalizard''s meat is apparently an A rank cooking ingredient so chopped him up and put him into the spacial ring to cook and eat latter. I also took the dagger Roland kept in at his ankle it was master-craft as well. I am surprised such a rich man had no healing tonics but I figured he probably did but used them all over the 2 fights. Its also should be know that a healing tonic has somewhat of a cooldown effect where you cant just spam them, it only makes sense this is sort of a game world. After the battles last night I am now level 15 which is insane for someone my age it probably has to be some type of record.
Status Window
Name:Kara RosewoodTitle:PrincessRace:HumanGender:Female
Class:Subclass:BardAge:5Level:15
Titles
The Songstress Princess, Prodigy
Resources
Health:750/750Mana:2500/2500Stamina:1030/1030
Stats
Strength:95Intelligence:86Agility:115Charisma:120
Wisdom:50Precision/aim:61Vitality:85Luck:50
I am pretty much on par with a level 40 whose stats scale normal. Not everyone at the same level is equal though as you can tell with me. Roland too he may have been level 40 on paper but there was no way in hell you could convince me that guy was any bit less tough then a level 50. Now I have decided to fake my own death to both get stronger and for revenge, I need to decide where I am going to live for the time being. I could live in the wild but that seems really lonely and boring. I can accomplish the same thing living in a city subjugate monsters during the day coming back at night. I am not even sure monster subjugation is the fastest way to level up. That makes me realize something. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. I have the gift of Gods information, but I am still lacking in that department. I need a mentor to help me, to guide me. I also need resources like a library, craftsman guild, and also perhaps ways to raise money. 500 gold was a decent start but if I wanted true influence down the road I would need tens of thousands of gold. There are 3 human cities that come to mind that I could move to. The first is Toulia which would be a really solid choice except if I ran into Mandy I don''t know if I could help myself from approaching her. It is best just to start fresh so Toulia is out of the question for now, I still plan to attend Mahouren in the future. The second option would be the city of Moben, it is the largest city in the country of Valsey. Being a major trade juncture it was one of the richest human cities, however Valsey still allowed slavery which I really despised. That leaves me the largest human city on the continent the capital of Calipis Empire, Zyrus. I know from my gift that the city about twice the size of Toulia in both population and geographical size. It also like Toulia had a varied population with a very strong elven demographic since Zyrus was the closest major human city to the elven continent. It also had a labyrinth in it that was open to all adventurers. The surrounding area had many places in which you could train. It would be the perfect place to disappear for a while and get stronger. I need to decide what horse to take and I went with Williams horse that had been tied up with all the other surviving horses. Williams horse was named Strider it was a white war-horse that was 5 years old just like me. At first I tried riding him the traditional way but I quickly found that it was very uncomfortable for me having my skirt constantly being pushed up so I adopted albeit begrudgingly a sidesaddle approach of riding. I would need to go through Toulia to get to Zyrus. It took me a whole day to get to there only stopping twice to feed the horse and myself. My family would likely still celebrating the wedding for a few more days, and knowledge of what transpired at the river Coll would not reach them for a little bit. Just for extra caution I took my horse around the outside of the city so I could enter through the east gate instead of the north one since the stable master at the north one might recognize William''s horse. I pulled up to the gate and 2 guards approached me. ¡°Hey little girl can I help you? Do you have a pass?¡± The guard asked me. Time to make use of this absurd charisma I have. ¡°Father sent me out to make a delivery of medicine to one of farmers just outside the city. But I have lost my pass on the way back!¡± I then start to cry and looked up at the guard teary eyed. ¡°Now don''t worry about it little miss we wont hold it against you, just next time remember your pass ok sweetheart.¡± The guard was completely swayed. Too easy, I dropped the horse off at the stables here for the night. Then I head look for an inn, it would have to be a cheap one since I bet all the expensive ones would be filled from guests from Mandy''s wedding. Even if they are not I don''t want to risk one of them recognizing the Songstress Princess. The problem with going to a cheap inn is they are usually are in a bad part of town. Toulia is no exception. ¡°Are you lost little girl?" ¡°This not the place for a little girl to be all by herself¡± ¡°Running away from home? You can stay with me.¡± All sorts of people are talking to me and I ignore them. I notice that 3 people have been following me actively, they are really making it way to obvious. I find a nice little alley which I can sense no one around. I have already judged these guys are scum based on the fact that they want to kidnap a little girl. I quickly climb up the wall making use of my acrobatics to jump from spot to spot. Now I wait for them to enter the alley. Pulling out my crossbow and having my daggers ready. ¡°Hey where did that girl go I saw her come down this alley.¡± delinquent number one stated. ¡°She definitely went down this way¡± delinquent number two agreed. Delinquent number three didn''t get a chance to chime in because there was now an arrow in his head. I quickly descended on delinquent number two lodging both daggers into his back. Delinquent number one tried to react but I was too quick I stabbed both of his knees. ¡°AHHHHH that hurts. I will kill you!¡± He tried to grab me but frankly I was too fast for him I quickly immobilized his arms by stabbing his biceps and triceps several times shredding the muscles. Now his arms just hung down at his sides like limp noodles, I missed any major artery or vein so the bleeding was relatively slow. ¡°M-m-m-monster!¡± he said his face full of despair realizing what I had done in under 5 seconds to the the three of them. ¡°Haha I may be a monster, but you are a far worse type of monster who kidnaps little kids in the slums. What do you do with them? You are going to tell me everything ok? If not I am going to have start cutting things until you tell me¡± I tell him so coldly that I scare even myself. ¡°Please don''t! I will tell you everything just let me live!¡± I am sort of disappointed I was kind of hoping he wasn''t so much of a wuss so I could work on my torture techniques. ¡°The kids if we find out they are have rich parents we ransom them back. Pretty good pay, as for the kids of poor parents who cant afford ransom we¡± He stopped talking as if he slipped up. I stab him in the left thigh and he screams in pain. ¡°You what? I don''t have all day here.¡± I am not playing around. ¡°We keep them locked up until we get a decent amount of them then we sneak them out of the city and sell them to slavers.¡± He confessed. ¡°Where do you keep them? The ''poor'' ones¡± I asked. ¡°A few blocks from here its a big building our boss uses as a headquarters all the kids are kept underground. There is a brothel next to it called ''Heavenly Sins''. So like we promised you are going to let me li..¡± Before he could finish his sentence I had slashed his throat. I never promised you anything scum. It appears I have to take care of something before I leave Toulia. For such a large operation to occur unnoticed there has to be guards in on it, both in the slums and at the gates. It would would be very dangerous for me to go in and liberate all the kids myself. Even though I really want to personally destroy all them. As a matter fact I bet human trafficing is just one of the few things they do, it would not suprise me if they sold drugs too, or if they robbed people. All I have to do is get enough evidence to the right people and they can do all the fighting for me. Let me think evidence is a lot harder to come by in this world, there is no cameras or voice recording. All there was is eye witnesses and paper records. I would have to deliver an eyewitness or informant that can give detailed information or paperwork that links them to the crimes. This should atleast being entertaining. I need to help clean up this city that Mandy lives in, low lifes like these deserve no place in it. Chapter 10 A Frame Job Chapter 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here''s a very rough map which I promised. Lots of geographic features are not on here. I also want to thank everyone who reads my story. I read all your guys'' comments and I appreciate all of them both good or bad. This is my first novel so bare with me, I am going to write this how I want to write this. This a fantasy world so don''t expect anything to be realistic(at all) or any characters to be reasonable(at all). Realistic fiction is too boring for me to write. Some time skips are coming in next chapter(s) as we set up the next arc in Zyrus. Enjoy this short chapter ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Frame job Slavery happening in a free country? It looks like I have uncovered a major issue here. Although it doesn''t really affect me directly I can''t turn a blind eye to such a travesty. All I have to do is get evidence to the proper officials. My problem is going to be how to find the proper officials, obviously with this large of operation going on there has to be corrupt officials. Maybe I can find a ledger or a paper trail. Time to do some reconnaissance. I sneak up to the the building. It looks like there is two entrances a front entrance with a several guards posted close by and a back entrance that goes into the alley that doesn''t open from the outside. There are a few windows but they appear to locked from the inside. Smashing one the windows would most likely attract attention unless I could mask the noise. That would be a risky approach, just to look for some evidence that is maybe not there. After determining that there is no connection to the prison area to the sewers I find myself in a pickle. I don''t really want to stay here in Toulia longer then I have to, news of the what happened by the river of Coll is surely going to reach here by tomorrow or even later tonight. That is when I think all hell is going to break loose. Then it comes to me, why try to find evidence when I can just create it? I am certain that when they find all the bodies of the dead mercenaries they will track it back to where Roland and his group lived. If I can plant evidence there connecting them to these guys, I would pretty much assure that they would get raided by the guards. I just have to watch and see what guards try to come and leak the information back to these guys and plug up the leaks. Inside of Roland''s ring was a personal journal, if I can forge his hand writing decently I can add in an entry incriminating Hans Vols the leader of this criminal organization. I just have to make it seem like they could be connected to my disappearance. On somewhat of a timetable I go ahead and decide to get a room. The inn keeper sort of gave a weird look when I said I needed a room but she took my money none the less. I spend about three hours practicing forging Roland''s handwriting, and I have gained a new skill from it Forgery level 3. Gift of the Adept is overpowered, gaining a skill and leveling it up twice in three hours is too much. Anyways this is sufficient, I doubt they will would take the time to take this to a handwriting expert before following this lead that may lead them to a potential kidnapped princess. They will discover plenty of evidence when they raid to incriminate these guys. After adding an entry about Hans being a collaborator of my kidnapping and mentioning his human trafficking ring. I headed out to Roland''s place. The building appears to be vacant for right now but that doesn''t mean it necessarily is. I creep up to the entrance, being the middle of the night there are few people out right now, but I don''t need any potential complications so I waited for a little bit for an opportunity to approach without anyone seeing me. I had Roland''s key so I opened the door. My heart skips a beat when I see someone just inside but he is passed out drunk. This first room is a big lobby area I am assuming that Roland''s office is in the back here. After opening another locked door with Roland''s keys I finally found his office I slip Roland''s journal into his desk to complete the frame job. After locking up the doors I opened to get in I slipped back into the street. Now I need to wait so I can see if there is a leak of information when the journal is discovered. Finally at around sunrise a group of about 30 guards approached the building, I laugh to myself I can only imagine the rude awakening that drunk bastard is about to get. After a few hours the guards finished up and it appears they are headed back to their barracks to go over what they found. Time to catch some rats. Sure enough after the guards had reconvened at the barracks I spotted one guard leave walking briskly towards the slums. Got you scumbag. I quickly slipped through the busy streets to intercept the guard. Having such a tiny body makes this so easy to tail him without his knowledge. After several minutes we finally are in place where I can take care of the him. I wait for him to pass by the alley I picked out to be his resting place. ¡°Mister guard help help!¡± I come up to him . Uninterested the guard said, ¡°Sorry I am on an important mission little girl go find another guard to help.¡± I then hold out a handful of gold coins in front of him , ¡° But there''s 2 men sleeping back here in this alley, and I cant wake them up. They have a big bag full of these coins! I have never seen this color before I have only ever seen ones that are not as shiny as these ones.¡± ¡°Well that sounds like like a serious problem, go home little girl I will take care of this.¡± He snatched the coins from my hand and left. He quickly went down the alley oblivious of me stalking behind him pulling out both of my daggers. ¡° Where the hell is this bag of gold¡± the guard was looking around for it in a hurry. I ran up and stabbed him with both daggers simultaneously through both kidneys. All he could do was gasp as we went into immediate shock. I quickly followed up and slipped my stiletto dagger into his throat for overkill as he fell forward. I have become extremely effective at assassinations with daggers, I must say. I quickly leave as someone may see me here with a soon dead guard. I head over to the kidnapper''s hideout. In case any more corrupt guards are coming to warn these guys. There are probably other corrupt guards but I guess they aren''t coming to these guys rescue like that first guy. I waited for several hours to enjoy the show that would ensue. This time there was at least 50 guards and it looked like there were a few high ranking military members too. Good this is going to be a massacre. The kidnappers not surprisingly gave up pretty easily after a few minutes and they are being led out in shackles and loaded up in a barred wagon. Hans however is being taken by those high ranking military officials I saw earlier to a different location, and I am willing to bet the sun doesn''t shine there. They are going to ''politely'' ask him a few questions about his involvement with my disappearance and he painfully is going to have no idea what they are talking about. He deserves this fate though, I don''t feel guilty in the slightest. The next scene truly makes me sick. I see a bunch kids some of them are just skin and bones being led out from the building. They all seem to be light sensitive, like they haven''t seen light for days. How can people be this sick? How can this happen in a free country? A lot of people have gathered around and I can see several people enjoying happy reunions with there families. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I see a lot of people looking sad though, because their loved one was not one of those whom was rescued. One woman in particular wearing a semi-transparent veil captured my eyes. She has several guards around her, and for some reason I cant take my eyes off of her no matter how hard I try. I can make out that she has sandy blonde hair and green eyes she looks like she is in her mid to late teens so she is probably looking for a sibling. Something extremely nostalgic about her, she is looking for someone very dear to her. Then when she looks by where I am her gaze stops as if she has seen a ghost. She pulls back here veil to get a better look at me. I cant believe I didn''t notice it earlier its MANDY!! As much as I want to run up and hug her I cant! With all my willpower I peel myself away from her gaze and I quickly disappear into the crowd. Maybe she didn''t know if it was me or not? I do have this concealment cloak on. I am sorry that this is something I must do oneesama. Tears of guilt stream down my face, I have stayed here too long I need to leave now. I need to become strong enough to where I dont have to hide behind castle walls to deal with men like Darius. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mandy POV I just got married to the man I love. I am going be staying at my favorite place in the world. Being able to research magic and help young magicians for the foreseeable future. I have no worries financially since I am a princess and probable future queen. You would think I would be the happiest woman in the world. In reality I am beyond the deepest despair I have ever felt, a hundred fold. My anguish is so bad that I have thought of suicide because the cause of my depression is all my fault. Let me tell you a little story of how this happened. I have the best sister in the world. I am not being biased she is simply the best. She is the most adorable, the hardest working, the smartest, the most talented, and anything that makes a little sister great she is the absolute best at it. To be honest she is too talented and it scares me. So I am like a prodigy when it comes to magic. When my sister was born I was already a student here at Mahouren and I was the top student academically. I also had won the school tournament so I became a super celebrity. Anyways when I meet my sister I sensed that she had equal mana to me as a baby! As she grew older I could sense her mana had become extremely pure, in fact the headmaster told me that apparently she had discovered and was cultivating mana on accident and had some of the most pure mana he has ever seen. That is a total lie, my sister is not dumb she definitely was doing it on purpose and she definitely knew what she was doing. I am surprised mom didn''t pick up on it earlier. As a matter of fact I guarentee my adorable little sister is hiding a whole bunch of things. You see she has a gift that prevents people from using magic to see her status/skills. Since nobody can use identification magic on her, nobody really knows everything that she has. I bet she can see her own status but doesn''t share it with us. I cant really blame her though. Extremely talented people are used and not always willingly. I know first hand since before I was married I was constantly having people trying to court me. What is worse my dad made it public that me and Felix were an item and to back off but they never did. Other then people trying to marry me, some people wanted my magic to help them. In all honesty, a lot of my days are wasted politely declining these people. So if I was harassed that much, I couldn''t even begin to think of how much my savant-like sister is going to be but unfortunately this comes with the territory of being nobillity. She had become somewhat of a recluse recently, constantly staying in the background. Mother and I were fearful that she depressed and her becoming shy was a byproduct. So we decided we were going to try and help her out. We wanted her to see that she had no reason to be shy, that everyone like us would see her for the wonderful person she is and was becoming. We planned to make her a bridesmaid and have her perform at the wedding reception. When we asked her instructor if she was ready enough to perform in front of people we got a big thumbs up. She of course was stunning as a bridesmaid, my husbands little brother was totally swept off his feet by my sister who was half his age. He couldn''t believe it when we told him her age. Then the reception came and everything changed. When Kara got on the stage and started singing it was literally as if the whole world stopped. Everyone was transfixed on her as she literally stole everyone''s heart both guy and girl alike with her first song. Unbelievable, perfect, god-like are a few words I would associate with that first song. I knew she was going to be good because you know its Kara and all but this is on a whole different level. Her next few songs were equally impressive. Then it hit me everyone would want a piece of her, even if she wasn''t a princess. I cant believe I made her expose herself when she is still so young! Then things got a lot worse, insurmountably worse. The tyrant king Darius had somehow crashed my reception and had heard Kara sing. Literally if there was one person in the world I didn''t want my sister to be exposed to it would be him. I would rather expose her to the demon king himself. He of course now wants my little sister for himself, the sick pedophile. Because of him we sent Kara back in secret. But today we got terrible news. Somehow her escort had been all murdered, the only evidence of Kara they could find was her royal signet that was among charred bodies. There is a strong chance that I was directly responsible for her death since I made her sing at the reception and that is why I am depressed. Felix gave me a little bit of hope today though telling me about a raid on a building in the slums that potentially Kara could be there. I prayed so hard that I would be able to see her again. I stood dumbfounded as dozens of pale and malnourished kids came out of the building. This has to be a joke right there is no way this is in Toulia, how could this go on beneath our noses. As the last kid came out, my stomach twisted as I hadn''t seen Kara among the rescued kids. I looked over the crowd envious as many families were being reunited. Then it happened. I saw a girl hooded in a cloak staring right at me transfixed as if possessed. I could see her golden blonde bangs part back into the cloak. Then I looked into her eyes. The deepest blue eyes you have ever seen, deeper then the ocean, so deep you could literally lose yourself in them. I know those eyes. I know those eyes very well, those are Kara''s eyes. I pull back my veil just to confirm without a shadow of a doubt that I am seeing Kara right now. She is gone, where did she go!? ¡°Kara!¡± I screamed as I knocked people out of the way heading in the direction of the girl. I know what I saw Kara is still alive! Chapter 11 Arrival in the Big City Chapter 11 Last chapter was sort of small so I am making it up with a mega chapter! Enjoy --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arrival in the big city I have been traveling on horse for almost 4 weeks now a few things happened on the trip that are worth mentioning. First I have become really good at riding a horse(horseback riding level 6), I am sort of an expert of sidesaddle riding now. I can easily fire my crossbow from my horse while riding and have several times. Second I have become really good at cooking(cooking level 5). The rate at which your cooking skill increases depends on how good the ingredients you use are and in my case it is further boosted by the gift. After getting sick of eating lizard meat I spent one day while in Valsey hunting game and fishing. Well my fishing consisted of my just casting lightning strike onto where I sensed fish, its not cheating I swear! As for hunting I killed a level 55 boar that was special and that guy was also an A rank cooking material. Also I have noticed that my food is now giving me a minor stats buff, this will be worth investigating latter. On route to Zryrus I traveled through Moben one of the citys I had considered of staying in. The city of Moben was like I imagined super wealthy. So many mansions of merchants or noble, so many high end shops. I picked up some new clothes here, just a nice new skirt leggings and blouse. The lady really wanted to put me into a few dresses but that doesn''t really fancy someone traveling. I tried to wear pants but it felt too weird after years of wearing only dresses and skirts. Plus I like to hide my daggers in my garters so having them on my waste wouldn''t be as discreet and would feel weird. I also bought a veil in case I do end up needing it at some point. I restocked on some cooking spices and finally bought a mask from one of the weirdest vendors I have ever met. The one I bought was a mask of one of the local goddesses in this world Grena, she is sort of a shinigami. The mask itself shows two halves of one face, the first half is of a pure lady with white skin, the second half is that of a demon with a horn and red skin. I find this mask fits me well, this goddess is very interesting. I want to find out more about her. The only other thing that happened, is for some reason a lot of slavers and bandits seemed to end up dead where ever I traveled. A lot of them seemed to have been stabbed in there sleep. Others were ambushed by an apparent assassin during the night. Some even fell victim to traps while chasing an adorable little girl on a white horse. I of course know nothing about all of this.......... I am almost there now another few hours I estimate before I reach Zyrus. The city is huge I can see how big it truly is from here. I can also see a giant lake to the right of it, this is Lake Malia and it supposedly super deep with a rumored underwater city guarded by a colossal water serpent. There is so many good places around here to train, and the city has all the resources I need to get stronger. I plan to live here until I am 9 and then head back to Toulia to study magic at Mahouren. I am likely going to be in big trouble when I get back. I imagine Mandy knew it was me and is hiring investigators to find me. As I pull up the road I notice something happening in front of me. There is a caravan getting attacked by what appear to be goblins. This is so weird I never would have thought that goblins would live so close to Zyrus. I know they have strongholds to the far south but this is on a major road to the biggest human city on this continent. The caravan is not looking so good, I guess I will help them out. It would be nice having someone owe me a favor as I come to a new city anyways. There is about 15 goblins attacking and it appears the escort part of 4 are just barely holding them back. Such a big caravan with such little protection? Were they not expecting to get attacked, or have they suffered casualties on the trek? I get my swords ready as I dismount my horse from about 50 meters the fight. A few goblins have noticed me at there flank and our now firing arrows at me. I see a shaman type goblin that I identify as a level 34 to be the biggest threat and I hurl a fireball that I boost with wind magic at her that hits her and several other goblins doing massive damage. That attack made all the ranged goblins switch there attack to me. I defect several arrows and dodge the others as I continue my sprint forward. The shaman goblin is still recovering from the massive fire attack earlier I don''t want to giver her a chance to fully recover. I easily collapse in on there flank as there are no vanguard goblins here in the back. I guess goblins don''t use rearguards in their formations. I slice 3 archers on my way to the shaman. The shaman having recovered and now pissed, begins to chant a lightning strike. Thanks to my gift I can understand exactly what is coming because I understand the language that is being used for channeling. The shaman is going to get the chant off before I reach, so I stop and use earth magic to raise protection for my self. A dome of dirt erects up from the ground and I quickly roll underneath it as I can hear the lightning come crashing down on the dome harmlessly. I continue my onslaught still dodging arrows thanks to my ridiculous agility. I attack the shaman with both swords and she blocks with her staff, I can tell the staff isn''t going to hold up against two master craft like weapons. So I try to overwhelm her with a whirlwind attack spinning 3 times the first 4 blows are all blocked but the 5th and 6th break the staff and slash into the shaman. The staggered goblin has no chance as I quickly decapitate her as I run past. The four escorts seem to be doing a lot better now that they only have to worry about vanguards and have claimed a few kills themselves. The archer goblins are next on the agenda, they try to keep distance from me but I am too fast. It only takes one good slash to kill one so I am able to quickly eliminate them one by one much to their horror. The bigger vanguard goblins take a little more time as I dance around all there attacks cutting them where there flesh is exposed. Finally the last goblin is slayed and I meet up with people I just helped. ¡°Thank you so much we were really in a pickle there! Are you a wood elf by chance?¡± It was one of the escorts who talked she was gorgeous dark elf. I can understand why she would think I was a wood elf because of my short stature and high agility. I pull my cloak back and smile, ¡°Just a normal human girl. My name is Lara¡± I kept my old alias from before since I liked it. Everyone gasps as they see me uncloaked. ¡°Very funny there is nothing normal about you, you look only about 10 cycles old and you fight like someone that has over 30. You can use a third level magic on top of having such martial prowess¡± This was said by male-cat person. He noticed everything I did huh, I think I wont mention that I am only 5. ¡°I was just so surprised to see goblins this close to Zyrus, I saw you guys were undermanned and I simply killed a few of the weaker ones.¡± I try to downplay what I did. A wealthy looking merchant lady came up to me and shook my hand. ¡°Goblin attacks have gotten a lot worse lately. This is the second attack on this trip, the first attack claimed a few lives of our escorts. You have my thanks we would have been in big trouble without you. Surely a reward is in order¡± she starting thinking of what to give me. ¡°I really did nothing that requires your gratitude, I am new here in this city perhaps a brief tour and lunch would be adequate. I may look too young to you but I am aspiring to be an adventurer.¡± I try to explain my situation. ¡°You have a family? Surely you are not living on you own?¡± The lady looked extremely concerned. Dammit now I have to lie. Time to make up a story that will get them not to worry about my situation too much. ¡°Yes I do have family here in Zyrus, an aunt who will take me in. My father sacrificed himself so I could escape from bandits awhile ago. I have been traveling on my own.¡± That was my story for them. I quickly got hugged by noble lady and the dark elf. ¡°You poor thing!¡± ¡° I hate bandits they all need to die¡± ¡°Such a cute girl having to fight on her own, that is tragic¡± ¡°If your aunt doesnt take you in you can live with me!¡± ¡°Its ok it happened awhile ago. Anyways if you want I will travel the last bit with you till we get to Zyrus. I am quite curious about a few things about the city, and could use a good conversation about it.¡± I offered to accompany them for both security and for dialogue. ¡°We would be honored I am Sarah by the way and I am moving into a shop here in Zyrus.¡± Sarah introduced herself. I got a lot of information on my little talk with Sarah on the state of what was going no in the city. There were several things of note, first the adventurers guild was in desperate need of people there wasn''t enough people to subjugate the monsters and it was effecting the economy. I sort of figured a situation like this may be happening after witnessing a goblin attack hours away from the city. Second thing of note there was a lot of corruption within the nobility and top merchants, though this happens in every country apparently the levels of greed and corruption here were at a toxic level. There seemed to be a lot of tension between the upper and lower classes in the city. The escorts were all apart of the adventurers guild and had left the previous city with 9 escorts. The first goblin attack was really bad they hadn''t anticipated that sort of assault and unfortunately 5 people died. Although adventurers dying is not something new it doesn''t make it easier to swallow. The dark elf ladies name was Siena, the cat-man was named Fark, the other two were both humans Jack and Katrina I think they are a couple they sort of kept to themselves but they did seem to be quite interested in me. ¡°So Siena how does one become an adventurer?¡± I had a rough idea of how it worked but wanted her detailed explanation. ¡°So you go down to the adventurer''s guild you touch a weird sphere like thing that determines that you are at least level 10 and age 13 as well as your class. You pay a registration fee and then they make you a ID for the guild¡± She described it exactly like I figured. ¡°So hypothetically lets say someone goes to register and the globe cant read that person for some reason. What would happen after that?¡± I asked. ¡°Well while that would be quite rare I suppose in that case the guild manager would have to make an exception and manually make the ID. The applicant would have to partake in a practical examination to determine they have sufficient skill.¡± Siena explained the procedure. ¡°Wow your are quite knowledgeable Siena¡± I was amazed she knew it to such detail. ¡°Well I did read the whole adventurers guild guidebook, that was a very specific question Lara why do you ask?¡± Siena now had her attention on me. ¡°Yeah I know for a fact the globe wont work on me. No one has ever been able to read my status apparently information magic doesn''t work on me for some reason.¡± I vaguely explained. ¡°Really!? Does that mean you have a Gift? The number of people who possess a gift is extremely minute so if you had one that would be incredible.¡± Siena was extremely excited on the prospect of me having a gift. I wonder how she would react if I told her I had 3 gifts and 2 greater god blessings. ¡°Well you see Siena I don''t really know I am immune even to my own information magic. I was told a gift was the most likely cause of this.¡± I lied about not knowing my own status. When I was Taiko I had rarely lied but now as Kara it is becoming second nature. I was becoming very good at it too which just reminds me that I am definitely a different person now then I was. ¡°Well you don''t look like your 13, so I doubt they would let you try to register. It is a shame though because adventures are needed and your skills are impressive. When I saw you fight I was sure you were a wood-elf, it was crazy how you strong you are. How exactly did you get this strong?¡± Siena added. ¡°First I am not really that strong yet. My father trained me well, we also had mage travel with us for a while and learned how to cast magic. He said I had a natural aptitude for it.¡± I paused and then asked the idea I had come up with. ¡° How realistic would it be if I pretended to be a wood-elf and try and register, if I found a way to fake the ears.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Well thinking objectively, it would be an extremely hard sell. I have never seen a wood-elf with blue eyes or with hair that light of shade of blonde. Also your features are too human like and childish. You could however maybe pass as a half-blood if you had the fake ears and wore some big girl heels to get some extra height you are lacking.¡± Siena idea of a half-blood could work. Clever girl! ¡°Ok I will do that¡± I declared. ¡°Whoa that was quick! You seem very determined and I know you are competent albeit a few years too young. I have a friend in the city that I can introduce you too that can help you out.¡± For some reason taking me to her friend really excited her. Finally after traveling all morning we arrived in Zyrus in the middle of the afternoon. Sarah demanded I stopped by her shop later and left after telling me the address. Then Jack, Katrina, and Fark said goodbye to me and left towards the adventurer''s guild to collect there reward. ¡°Siena are you not going to go with them?¡± I asked. ¡°I only knew one person on that mission and he is dead now¡± she said with a grim expression. ¡°I am sorry I didn''t want to bring up bad memories¡± I consoled her. ¡°Its not that big of deal just someone I had been on a few adventures with he was very cute for a human. We weren''t together or anything just sort of an acquaintance.¡± there seemed to be more to the story but I didn''t press her for it. ¡°Anyways I am going to take you to my friend and then after when we turn you into a cute little half-wood elf I am going to help you register. I know the manager personally, I can put a good word in for you.¡± Siena grabbed my hand and dragged me along in a very happy mood. It took us 20 minutes to walk to her friends and all along the way she was giving me a tour showing the good places to eat, the various craftsman shops, and any other interesting place we passed by. Her friends shop was a sort of a saloon but she also sold enchanted items such as jewelry and clothing. Her friend was a beautiful high elf. It seems like all elves are gorgeous. ¡°Siena! Its been awhile how have you been and who is this adoreable little girl you have with you?¡± Her friend was very happy to see her, I can tell they have a long history together. ¡°Zyra it has been too long. Adventuring has been difficult its dangerous and people die all the time but it pays very well, it is a profession that is in dire need, and it is exhilarating at times. As matter fact we were almost overrun by goblins when a lone human came in an helped us out wiping out half of there forces single handedly.¡± Siena said. ¡°A lone human? Was he hot, would did he look like, was he a hero?¡± Zyra''s eyes lit up with interest to find out about Siena''s savior. ¡°Her name is Lara and this is her¡± Siena introduced me. ¡°Hello lady Zyra I am Lara it is a pleasure to meet you.¡± I ended with a proper curtsy. ¡°You are joking right? This child is far too young to be able to wipe out goblins.¡± Zyra couldn''t understand. After explaining everything in details about how the globe wouldn''t work on me and letting her sense my mana she finally accepted the fact of our story. We then explained our plan to disguise me as a half-wood elf since I obviously was well beyond what a beginning adventure was and there was no reason I should have to wait. I offered her several gold to do this but she wouldn''t accept it, saying she enjoyed doing these kinds of things as well as it was a thank you for saving Siena. The ears were simple Zyra had an enchanted headband with illusion magic that gave humans elf ears. Apparently this design was a big hit. I thought that I was done with elf ears but I was sure wrong! The two of them said I needed proper elven attire had me try on every type of elven outfit you could imagine. I really started to doubt their motives when they started having me wear various elven ceremonial dresses that included one wedding dress. Finally they had chosen a nice one piece elven tunic, it was green and had a stylish cut that screamed elf. Finished off with heeled boots and white leggings and a decent amount of makeup to make me seem older/more elf like. Zyra also took the liberty of braiding my hair in the elf style. When I looked in the mirror I had to admit Zyra skill was the real deal. Staring back at me was an adorable half-elf loli. The makeup had done its job and I had a mature look to me. ¡°You make an adorable elf, that look suits you incredibly well. You should stay that way from now on!¡± Siena said looking at me. ¡°Well I might as well do that since that is going to be my cover with the guild, do half-elfs get discriminated?¡± I asked. ¡°If you lived in the elven continent Shima you would definitely be looked down upon, fortunately everyone here in Zyrus is very open minded.¡± Zyra stated. This is perfect, in case people are looking for me they wont be expecting me to look like an elf. Also people wont question me traveling by myself or give me worrying looks when I try to buy something or rent a room. Then an extremely worrisome question pops up in my mind. ¡°Is there such a thing as an elf fetish here?¡± I asked because I already fit into the lolicon fetish. ¡°Oh yeah, there is a large amount of humans who fancy elves here. I am sure you will have all kinds of boys all over you¡± Siena confirmed my fears with a big smile. The new heel boots took a little to get used to, but I had a lot of experience in heels from my princess days so it didn''t take me too long to get use to the added height with my quick learner perk. Within 15 minutes I was strutting around in them like a pro. We said goodbye to Zyra, she was very happy to learn I would be back since I was going pretend to be half-elf for awhile here as I did adventures and would need to buy more things. Siena and I departed to the adventurer''s guild. The guild building was massive, there was a big training ground out front, inside was a bar/restaurant and on the other-side of the hall was the reception desk. There was stairs leading up to some rooms and offices. ¡°Hey Angie I came to get my reward for escorting lady Sarah, I also brought my friend here Lara, who wanted to register with the guild. She is a half wood elf whom is seriously skilled¡± Siena said. After handing Siena something to sign, Angie handed her several gold coins and a few silver ones. Then she turned her attention to me giving me a serious look before saying. ¡°Follow me little Lara¡± she had me follow her to a back room just behind the counter. ¡°Ok place your hand on here¡± She pointed to a big globe. After putting my hand on the globe it glowed a very brite white as it registered my mana. Then it faded, Angie looked dumbfounded. ¡°Is something wrong? Do you want me to do it again?¡± I asked Angie. ¡°This is so strange, your mana definitely registered into the device, as matter fact I have never seen it shine so bright even when a mage was touching it. You must have some serious mana girl. Anyways all the fields came back as question marks, I am going to have to go get the manager. This is a unique situation.¡± After bringing me back to lobby I waited with Siena as we waited for Angie to get the manager. After a few minutes Angie came back with a tall and trim man whom looked to be in his 40s. ¡°Randy! How is it going? I brought you quite the find here. This girl is the real deal!¡± Siena winked at him and by the way his cheeks had turned red I have a feeling that they may have hooked up in the past or had some type of relationship. Siena is quite the free spirit I am willing to be she had a few romantic rendezvous. ¡°It has been very busy. We have too many monsters and too few adventures. You must be Lara? You look awfully young Lara even for a half-wood elf. How old are you?¡± ¡°Thirteen I just had my birthday a few days ago.¡± I didn''t dare try and claim I was older then that. Randy like Angie did gave me a very serious inspection. ¡° Wood-elves are sort of rare even in these parts, I am having a hard time gauging whether what you say is possible, you look far too young but elves and half elves age differently so there is a chance what you say is true I suppose.¡± Now time to make use of my high charisma, ¡°Question it all you want it is true, why not test my skills? Surely that would prove my maturation if you are indeterminate with my appearance.¡± Unable to refute my logic he agreed and lead me to the training grounds. There was a facility on the grounds that he led me into. It was a big empty building with all sorts of devices planted throughout the massive room. ¡°This is a very special training facility designed by a Sage level mage that makes use of illusion and earth magic to simulate combat. Once I activate the simulation it can accurately gauge your fighting potential in a battle with a time limit. It gives you allies to work with whom are green colored and your enemies are red colored. Taking fatal damage will simply end the simulation and potentially make you fail if you don''t manage a high enough score. We mainly use this to gauge if someone is ready for a promotion of rank. Let me know when you are ready.¡± Randy gave a very through explanation. ¡° I have two questions. First what I do here is it strictly confidential I don''t mind Siena being here but you wont tell other people if I do really good?¡± I asked seriously seeing if I can go all out. I felt like a kid in the arcade. ¡°Absolutely confidential! Good or bad my lips are sealed. Not only as a guild policy but also a gentleman.¡± Randy reassured me. I then looked at Siena whom I trusted and she let me know this was not a farce. ¡°What is your second question?¡± Randy asked ¡°What is the record? I am going to beat it.¡± I said confidently. ¡°The record of 55 kills is owned by a SS rank adventure and current beast-king Samba the fierce. Good luck with that hahahahaha.¡± He seems really amused that I want to beat his score. I let Randy know I am ready. I decide to go with daggers over swords as I have them at level 8 and swords would slow me down slightly. As soon as the simulation started I noticed that there was only about 20 enemies, I guess they stagger the numbers in waves as you clear. I opened with a massive fire ball which I aimed for collateral damage. Getting several kills I went in to clean up not waiting for my allied illusions to engage. I am actually very surprised at how accurate the simulation is. I am almost nailed by a few magic and arrow attacks on my way in. Once up close I easily dodge their weapon swings and punches countering every attack with extreme lethality. I find that it is easy to score kidney strikes, as well as strikes at major arteries such as the femoral, subclavian, and descending aorta in the chest. I don''t waste time going for neck and head attacks as I am too short and would have to do too much work and waste too much time to reach those places. Heart and verterbra attacks are useful too but they aren''t always available. As the wave is wiped out a bunch new enemies are summoned in. The second wave I didnt have to waste time getting close to since I was already here. I make use of wind magic to knock over sever enemies and slash there throats as I go by. I find that openings for several kicks and judo attacks here and there as I dispatch this second wave. I wipe out the second wave and a third wave spawns but the number of enemies is vastly increased. Having a decent amount of mana left I decided to do a three stage elemental magic attack I have only practiced a few times but never with this particular finisher. I use earth magic and water magic to create a pool around the illusions and then I cast a 3rd level thunderstorm attack over the pool. This attack drains almost all my mana but is well worth it as I have easily eliminated close to 15 enemies I run up and kill a few stragglers with my daggers before finally the time limit is reached. ¡°Did I beat the score? I know I was close atleast.¡± I am excited to see if I did it. Dumbfounded all Randy could do was nod and reply ¡°58......wh- wh-.who are you??¡± ¡°I am Lara¡± I say with a big smile. Chapter 12 The Crimson Widow Chapter 12 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minor time skip. Here''s the next chapter enjoy <3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Crimson Widow Its been been 2 years now here in Zyrus and I am now 7 and I have gotten a lot stronger I am now level 25. I have also grown a decent amount in stature I am now just over 4 and half feet. Which is the average height of a full grown wood-elf since I am supposedly a half-blood I think I will be able to keep up this facade until I leave for magic school. I finally got a class once I hit level 20 I had figured out what class best fit me and I had to go to through someone in the thieves guild(I am acquaintance now) to get it. My main class is now Shadowblade (assassin mage hybrid class). The best thing about this class is gave me access to body strengthening magic that boosts my stats a lot at the cost of using a portion of my mana which I have plenty to spare. After about 3 months of leaving home the guilt about leaving back home the way it was to Mandy became too much, and I sent a letter to Mandy letting her know that I was ok. I let her know that I wasn''t coming back for awhile and just to trust me to stay safe, not matter what. I asked her to keep my the fact I was still alive a secret obviously I have no idea if she would abide to that though. I told her that I was sorry how everything went down but I what I am doing now is necessary to help pave my own future. I wasn''t going to let anything or anyone inhibit me from reaching my full potential and that includes my very own family. I let her know me sending these letters had a condition. If they tried to send people to track me down and bring me back or even just send people just to observe me, those people were guaranteed to fail miserably. As punishment for violating this condition, I would stop sending letters letting her know I was alright altogether and I would disappear totally. Mandy knew me well enough to tell I was not bluffing. I have been sending her letters every few months since they haven''t breached my condition yet. Messages can be sent with space time magic across the country. This has become a common practice to spread news and information across the continent. It was also useful for researchers as a lot of times mages had to collaborate on projects across great distances. So to send her a message I just had to go to the mages guild and pay to send a message to Mahouren and label it as a letter to Mandy. It would be possible to trace these letters back to me but if they tried it they would be forcing me to cut off communication. I have grown quite close with Siena as we both do missions for the guild together when ever possible as we enjoy each others company. I can speak the elven language much more fluently now, I could always speak it with my gift the words just came slow so I practiced it to the point it sounds very natural. I decided it was something I needed to do for my cover of being half-elf but I also wanted to be able to communicate with my friends without outsiders understanding. You should have seen how surprised Siena and Zyra were when I cut into one of the conversations they were having about me in the elf language. My rank in the guild is now rank B and Siena has just been promoted to rank A, in fact me and Zyra are going to throw her a promotion party later tonight. We plan on taking her to a fancy restaurant and then enjoying a cake that I had spent all day yesterday making at Zyra''s place. I have been renting a house for a while now I found it a lot cheaper then renting a room at the inn constantly. Siena figured out my aunt story was a bunch a bs rather quickly but understood why I did it back then. She offered to room with me but I honestly like my own space and I had the gold to enjoy it. Also I didn''t want to have to hear her moaning from the random hook-ups she would be having in the other bed room. Adventuring has been fun as Lara, not a single elf that I have encountered has suspected in the slightest that I was human. As a matter fact I often forget it too as I assumed the role of Lara. Zyra had even made me a special pair of earrings so I no longer needed the headband for the ears which was nice for when we took baths. I spoke the language I had assumed a lot of the mannerisms, and I dressed the part perfect. Any talk about elven knowledge could easily be cheated with the gift in most circumstances. In the guild I was becoming very well known as I reached B rank faster then anyone had before. In all honesty skill wise I was probably close to S rank or higher but the way the guild works you have to complete lots of quests before you rank up there is no shortcuts. The number of subjugation missions were always constant so I always had something to kill if I wanted. As Lara I always try to dress impressively, I often flirt with people to get what I want. I enjoy controlling people with my charm, I enjoy manipulating them to my benefit. It is a game to me, and I was very good at it. My goals are never anything very sinister, most of the time it was just to gain information, get a discount or special deal from a vendor, and sometimes it simply is for my own amusement. Although I am very flirtatious and act cute and innocent. I am very quick to shoot down any advances on me always quick and ruthlessly. I have no intention of getting into any kind of physical relationship with anyone regardless of their sex at this point in my life. I truly appreciate beautiful women, but I am fine with admiring them from a distance at this point. Men who complain I am a tease and try to push the envelope and attempt to touch or grab me endure a much more brutal rejection often needing a visit with a cleric. Although I don''t have the title I do have the nickname among people in the guild as the untouchable beauty. The scary thing is, this Lara persona it came so naturally, did this mean that Lara is actually my true personality? Was I Lara, Kara, or Taiko now? I like to think I am a combination of all three but I feel less and less like Taiko and Kara everyday. As Taiko I am hard working, honest, and earnest but also selfish, self-destructive, and dense. As Kara I am graceful, caring, and studious but also timid, sheltered, and reserved. As Lara I am confident, ambitious, and dedicated but also manipulative, ruthless, and cold. I am neither good or evil that was what the gods told me but in a way I am actually both good and evil. I enjoy killing people and watching the despair in their eyes as they die, yet I feel elated when I was able to liberate a bunch of kids from future slavery. I guess I will just leave it as I am complicated. Anyways I am heading to Sarah''s store to pick up my gift I have ordered for Siena. It is a necklace that will look good on her and I know she will like it. I paid good money to get it a high end enchant. In a couple years I am going to move away, so for now I am going to spoil her. I don''t know if I will see ever her again after I leave. ¡°Hey Sarah I am here to pick up the thing I ordered.¡± I ask her as I walk in. The necklace was enchanted by one of her connections in the craftsman guild. Apparently it was the same enchanter that did my bracelet she had given me 2 years ago as a reward for saving her caravan from goblins. ¡°Here you go Lara¡± she handed me a box with the necklace inside ¡°how have you been? Still going strong with the guild?¡± ¡°It was super fun at first but it has gotten boring of late. I have to do some many mission to rank up, so I don''t even get the opportunity to try the super challenging missions. Occasionally things get interesting though.¡± I nonchalantly explained my current feeling of adventuring. ¡°Well if you ever want to work for me you have spot open for you. Anyways have you noticed it, the vibe in the city?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Oh you mean the tension between the upper and lower class? Yeah it has gotten really bad, the corruption is at an all time high. I feel like it could boil over at any time.¡± I confirmed Sarah''s thoughts. ¡°So who''s side would you take if there was a clash?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°I would take my own side of course. I do feel some empathy for the lower class but not enough to stick my own neck out as it would not benefit me.¡± It was a tough question. Anyways after picking up my gift I met up with Zyra and Siena to go out to dinner. The place was a high end elf restaurant. Our waiter was actually a wood-elf himself and I enjoyed pulling his heart strings like a lute. It was too easy to do, all I had to do was look into someones eyes give them a sweet smile and talk in sweet melodic voice and they would snared into my web. The blessing of Aphrodite made charming people second nature. He blushed bright red when asked him what traditional wood-elf dishes he would recommend from there menu. He stuttered out a few options all of them were some type of meat, seriously no salads? I ended up going with a venison steak. After taking our orders Siena and Zyra started to speak in elven language. ¡°Zyra isn''t Lara the biggest flirt? She could charm the Demon King himself.¡± Siena amusingly said. ¡°Yeah but she shoots down every guy that approaches her without reservation. I think she is into girls by the way she checks out women and pays no interest into men other then to size them up in a fight.¡± Zyra added. ¡°I am right here you guys forget I can speak elven too? Anyways I never said I was into guys or girls, all that matters to me is getting stronger.... that''s it¡± I say annoyed that Zyra could read me so well. ¡°Who even taught you to speak elven we sure didn''t Now you intrude on our private elf conversations jeez Lara.¡± Siena annoyingly said. ¡°Oh elven is easy to learn I just read a book you know, and since I am half-elf shouldn''t I get to join in or at least half in?¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°I must admit I forgot you are actually human most of the time, its too bad that you are. Humans live for a short amount of time compared to us.¡± Siena kind of was depressed at this notion. ¡°I don''t know Siena by the rate you get into trouble I might be around longer you. Anyways there are quite a few ways to prolong your life as a human.¡± I replied to Siena. After enjoying are meal we started heading back to Zyra''s place. As we walked down the street there was a huge argument going on between 2 men and a woman. The first man was a chubby guy in really nice clothes and jewelry hes got at least 6 guards around him all on edge I bet hes a big time merchant or a noble. The other man was tall and wiry and in very cheap clothes. The woman''s attire looked rather cheap too. ¡°Phebian why do you get between me and that woman, I wanted to talk to her and you are in my way! I am Lazlo Ludwick son of the duke of Sturn. Know your station.¡± Lazlo is a noble of a medium duchy to the far east of this country. ¡°Well she is my wife and she doesn''t want to talk to you, please understand. We don''t want any trouble.¡± the man was trying his hardest to diffuse the situation and protect his wife. ¡°Your wife? Well I am sure that she would be much more comfortable as my concubine. You should be honored I would take such interest in a commoner¡± Lazlo arrogantly proclaimed. ¡°We are leaving goodbye¡± the man grabbed the woman''s hand and turned his back to walk away. Lazlo upset that he didn''t get what he wanted so he pulled out a sword and stabbed the man in the back with no hesitation as he was walking away. As the man collapsed and started to die the woman was crying in anguish holding his head as he was saying something to her. ¡°He threatened me! Look he has a weapon he was about to use it!¡± Lazlo tried to explain his actions pointing to a small sword at the mans waist. Since when has it been illegal to carry weapons. There were several guards one whom looked like he was high in command. They were in the area for a while now as the argument had played out over a few minutes, this guy is sure going to get in trouble. ¡°I Gregarious of the guard saw it as an act of self defense.¡± This literally made everyone in the crowd start to yell and scream at them. That''s when a shit ton of more guards showed up and started to send people away from the scene forcibly. As I looked at that gluttonous bastard and that old sell-out guard, images of Darius and Roland came to my mind. Men who were too greedy, and either thought that women were just property or men that would lose all sense of right and wrong just for some money. Then when I looked at the poor woman holding her dead husband a dreadful scene from my past popped in my mind. The image of me crying over Mathias''s lifeless body played in my mind over and over again. I felt sorrow, as I looked upon the somber scene. Then I got angry, I got so angry that my vision started to blur from increased blood pressure. As I became enraged mana and pure killing intent spilled out around me like a dam had just collapsed. People and guards were involuntarily pushed away and began cowering from me. They''re dead, they''re so dead I am going to kill them. Not right now because it would be stupid but soon, I reasoned in my head. As I imagined the despair that would be on Lazlo face as he died from exsanguation I grinned from ear to ear. I started walking with my two girls now focused on cake. Murder would have to wait for the cover of night. ¡°Unbelievable I cant believe we just witnessed that! A man killed in cold blood and the guards just lets it slide. I don''t know if I can live here much longer¡± Zyra was obviously shaken from the whole ordeal. ¡°Yeah I wanted to teach that noble guy a lesson and then all the guards showed up and protected him. Lara you were super scary there for a second I could feel atmosphere around you turn dreadful. I thought you were going to do something stupid, yet now you seem giddy?¡± Siena looked at me. ¡°I was angry for second but what are you going to do? Anyways I spent a whole day baking this cake and we are going to enjoy it! That''s a whole day I could have gotten stronger so you better appreciate it!¡± I did enjoy making it, I hope they love the taste, the thought of them enjoying my cake made me very happy. I guess the Kara in me is still alive after all. The cake was delicious and I was so glad everyone enjoyed it. A few of Siena and Zyras friends showed up and we all had a very fun time watching Siena open her gifts. My gift of course was the best, it was really worth the 6 gold I paid to see her smile. We thanked everyone for coming and then we all headed home. As soon as I left I instantly went into hunter mode. I would settle things tonight with these guys for making me relive a personal hell. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. During my adventures I had a chance to partake in an activity that I wanted to as a little girl, herb collecting. I have amassed a small collection among my adventures and I have been able to level my alchemy to level 5. I can make only mid level healing potions, its too bad because if I had could make high potions I would have been able to save that man earlier. I keep my skill a secret because I don''t want people coming to me for potions. The supply of mid potions is really small and high potions are almost non existent. If people knew I could make mid potions from lower quality herbs I would have all kinds of people bothering me. It would be a good way to make money but I prefer to only mix in the evening before I go to bed when I don''t feel like reading. While my ingredients for making healing potions have been mediocre at best, my ingredients for poisons have been great. I have crafted several high poisons and there effects are quite lethal. Think about this way a high potion has the ability to heal a fatal injury, so a high poison has the opposite effect. Of course against a high level person the effects are diminished. I stop home to change out of my clothes putting on really light leather gear that I had bought a while ago, my concealment cloak and my mask of Grena. I grab one of my few high poisons this one was made with fire poppy roots which should make the victim feel like they are burning alive from the inside. I would only need a few drops against these two since they are both below level 40. My first mark is going to be Gregarious since he is going to be a much easier target then Lazlo and if things go wrong I will have at least eliminated one mark tonight. I ran across rooftops since it is easy for me and my level 7 acrobatics and also since I feel like being a true ninja right now. The first place I checked was the barracks he wasn''t there, so he is either out on patrol or drinking at the tavern I concluded logically. I couldn''t find him in the tavern either but I now knew were Lazlo was I will be coming back here soon. The city was broken into districts for the guards and I could easily see where the edge of the territory''s was with my information gift. After looking around for about 20 minutes I found my mark. Unbelievably he is getting a blow-job while on duty and in a back alley, actually this is going to make this a lot more interesting for me. I coat Roland''s dagger with the poison and I slipped on my mask. I descend down into the alley and sneak up dagger in hand. Gregarious let out a loud grunt as he had finished the deed. The woman saw me and started making muffled noises but couldn''t say anything that was sensible as her mouth was currently occupied. As soon Gregarious pulled out she screamed ¡°Behind you!¡± Instinct fully Gregarious turned around and as he did I cut into his swollen member and then stabbed him in the thigh avoiding major arteries for some decent non lethal blood letting. ¡°You bitch you just cut my dick!¡± He went to lunge at me but he tripped himself on his own trousers which were still around his ankles. As he went to get up he quickly fell back down and assumed the fetal position. ¡°It burns! It burns so bad! So one help me. AHHHHHH! AHHHHH! Some one please kill me!¡± I was for sure he had taken a lethal amount by the rate his HP was slowly but steadily dropping. His screams are so bad it is for sure going to attract attention, I really want to watch his demise but I need to leave. The woman is just sitting there mortified at what had just happened. I quickly slip out of the alley closing off access to the alley with earth magic and disappear back into the darkness. Well now to take care of Lazlo. Taking care of Gregarious had been extremely satisfying hopefully this next mark will be as fun. When I got to the tavern I could see Lazlo with his group enjoying drinks. The poor server lady was getting groped as she brought more drinks her face was filled with disgust but she kept a very forced smile. That fat bastard I am going to slip the rest of this poison into his drink. I keep watching trying to figure out how I am going to do this. I don''t like it this place is too public, there are too many potential issues. The only way I can think of safely doing this poisoning his drink but I definitely don''t have the right poison for the job. Absorption through the stomach is a lot lower because a lot of the poison denatures in the stomach acid before it can absorb into the blood and he would most likely spit out what he is drinking when he tastes it as it would very hot. I keep watching the situation trying to find an opening. I could try my crossbow coated with poison but it would not be an easy shot and I would only get one shot before I had to escape. Perhaps I should just wait until he leaves and then ambush him as he travels to his inn? As I visualized every possible scenario in my head something incredible unfolded in front of me. A red headed woman in belly dancer outfit complete with a shawl over her face began to dance on the stage the band began to play music for her dance. She was very enchanting, I could tell she used illusion magic to make movements show a slight after image for effect. Her dance was very hypnotic, and Lazlo was being drawn in like a moth to flame. At first I didn''t notice it but now I can tell she was targeting Lazlo in particular as her movements always had him in the center. I snapped out of trance and watched as she went up to Lazlo and pulled him in with her hip scarf and gave him a personal dance close up for a few seconds and then backed up finishing her dance. What is this?? When I looked at Lazlo''s neck where the hip scarf was there was a cut and I look at Lazlo''s status he losing health very rapidly, yet he hasn''t moved a muscle. Paralyzed? I quickly look at the dancer and use analyze as she is bowing and now quickly leaving the stage. What I see shocked my world.
Status Window
Name:Jennifer von SteinbenTitle:The Crimson WidowRace:Pure-blood VampireGender:Female
Class:AssassinSubclass:Enchantress, TailorAge:251Level:123
Titles
The Daywalking Beauty, The Virtuoso Tailor
Resources
Health:12310/12310Mana:4850/4850Stamina:13110/13110
Stats
Strength:758Intelligence:695Agility:840Charisma:854
Wisdom:320Precision/aim:85Vitality:685Luck:75
She makes Darius seem like a small fry holy shit. I cant believe I was using Darius as gauge of true strength in this world, the world is much more wide then I had thought! I am in love with her! I need her to teach me! Where did she go?! All that is left on the stage is a note, I didn''t even notice her leave the stage. Lazlo has just collapsed. He had died on his feet while paralyzed. Someone looked at the note on the stage and screams ¡°Its the Crimson Widow! Where did that dancer go?¡± I searched for her but she was long gone. I want to track her down. I need to talk to her, but isn''t that dangerous? She is a vampire after all and she definitely could easily kill me. I want her to teach me, I know she can help my growth. I try weighing the risks with the rewards in my head using logic, and I keep coming to fact I am an idiot for even considering wanting to talk to her. Damn it Taiko in me! Why must I approach her? Last time you got pulled towards a powerful woman you died and were reborn as one. After not being able to sleep at all I come up with a plan for approaching her. From what I can tell she is living under the cover of being a tailor here in the city. Once I figure out what tailor she is I am going make an letter exposing her identity and then I am going to have a friend hold onto it. If I disappear then the letter gets exposed, thats my first card to play. My second card is also my extremely expensive trump card. I have an enchanted doll, enchanted with space time magic that will swap places with me if I activate the ward to it. It is limited to about 500 meters so it would be for escaping if she attacks me. I have a pair of silver swords and crossbow bolts too. I will pick holywater from the temple too. I feel butterflys in my stomach as I venture out to track her down. It didn''t take me very long to find her obviously somebody with the title the Virtuoso Tailor was going to be someone high end. She ran a place called Jen''s Boutique and Design. It was in the richest part of town close to the palace. I found a place to set up the doll. I made sure I looked appropriate as I entered the shop. A sharply dressed woman welcomed me. ¡°So what could I interest you in today young miss?¡± the receptionist asked. I put on a sweet little smile and talk in a sweet voice and look her straight in the eye in attempt to charm her. ¡° I was wondering if I could meet with Jen personally. I have a custom order I want and I have the gold ( I show a handful of gold coins). Wont you please take me to her?¡± The receptionist cant help but give in to my request and she leads me to the back where Jen has an office. She has me wait outside the office knocks on the door waits for permission to enter. After about a minute she leaves the office ¡° Mistress Jen will meet you now.¡± She then bows and goes back to the front of the shop. ¡°Welcome young lady, to whom do I have the honor of speaking to?¡± ¡°Mistress Jen the honor is all mine, I am Lara.¡± I do a proper curtsy. ¡°So Lara what is the real reason you come to see me today? It is surely not for an outfit, my personal work is not cheap and you as a human would outgrow it very quickly. The fake ears do not deceive me¡± Jennifer was very serious now. ¡°I apologize I wear them so often it becomes second nature, the reason I come to you today is because I would like you to make me your disciple Mistress Jen. I feel that you are the only one who can help me.¡± I was definitely blushing when saying this. ¡°Oh its just that, tailoring is a very difficult profession but if you are so interested I can direct you to my liaison in the craftsmen guild they can help you.¡± She offered to me. I laughed a little not only because the misunderstanding but also to help calm my own nerves ¡°Mistress Jen, I was not talking about becoming your disciple in tailoring. I was talking about your.......... other profession. I am a big fan of your work!¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Straight to the point huh? ¡°I know that you are the only one who can teach me. I also know that I would never betray you.¡± I said as sincerely as possible. ¡°That''s not what I asked...¡± Instantly she had closed in on me and attempted to grab me but I casually side step her. Before she can try again I answer her, ¡° I know everything and if I disappear what I know becomes public knowledge.¡± ¡°Your bluffing.¡± she said. ¡°Then call my bluff.¡± I boldly tell her looking her dead straight in the eyes. I am really scared right now but I hide it. ¡°Hmm maybe I will have to torture you to get the information.¡± She quickly counters. ¡°Mistress Jen you would have to catch me alive and I still have cards to play (I basically implied I had a trump card). I don''t know why you would be against taking on the most gifted disciple on the planet. Zyrus is in a mess you can use my help.¡± I continue my negotiation. ¡°And what can you do? I cant read your status which is odd so I have no idea what you are even capable of . You smell like a human with extremely potent mana. I am guessing you are around age 12 why would someone with such arcane talent not be at a magic school.¡± She asked. ¡°That''s simple Mistress its because I am 7. You have to be 9 to enter school. If you want to know my handiwork I believe head guard Gregarious met his end unfortunately by my poison. He was begging for death as I left him. Lazlo was next but you took the prey before I¡± I answered her. ¡°Interesting that was you? Those were some of the most delicious screams I have heard in a while. Nevertheless killing a weak old man with one foot in the grave doesn''t prove anything.¡± She quickly dismissed my kill. ¡°Mistress if you take me on I will give you everything except for my life or my humanity! I guarantee my blood would be tasty for you. I just need your guidance¡± I offered her ¡°Lara I don''t fully trust you yet but I do find you very intriguing, especially how you found me and were bold enough to approach me. Maybe this can work after all. Come to my mansion tomorrow morning, present this to the guard at the front gate , it is the huge one on the hills to the north overlooking the city. I want to see what you are capable of. I am not making any promises before then. Also there is no point in bringing that ward to teleport. It wont work against my barrier.¡± Mistress said with a smile. "You will not be disapointed Mistress Jen" I confidently answered. I guess my trump card was actually useless. Anyways she actually gave me a chance or maybe it is a trap. I really hope its not a trap. Chapter 13 An Interview with a Vampire Chapter 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enjoy the quick updates for the time being there going to slow down with school resuming soon ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ An interview with a vampire I cant believe I am actually doing this. I am going to be walking into a very powerful vampire''s domain. She is easily the most powerful person I have encountered. There is a decent chance that this is a trap, where I get killed, imprisoned, or forcible turned. I get the feeling Jennifer is a very professional person in both tailoring and assassination. I assume she doesn''t like loose ends, but if she thinks I can be useful to her in the future as an associate, she is not naive enough to dismiss that type of potential benefit. I have a feeling it all depends on what she gauges my abilities as and also what she feels my potential is. I need to be ready for anything she throws my way, even killing innocent people if it comes to that. I really hope it doesn''t because I would prefer not to, but if it does I need to be able. It was really cute how she thought yesterday that she could track me with a familiar. Maybe that was my first test, maybe she wanted to keep track of in case I got spooked and was going to run away. I am sure she is trying to get as much information as possible on me to see if I am an agent for some outside force or organization. I just hope this doesn''t end up involving my friends, as they have no clue about all of this. I left before sunrise, I had everything I could potentially need on me or in my spacial ring. I am having trouble staying calm the whole walk there, I am too anxious I need to relax. Its just a potential death flag is all, nothing I haven''t dealt with before. As I get close up to the mansion I am amazed this place is probably the 2nd most luxurious place in the city to only the palace. I wonder if the higher ups know she is a vampire? She obviously has great influence on the city. Anyways the mansion itself is a Gothic design. How cliche, if you put this house in a lineup it would definitely be the one you would pick to be owned by a vampire. I approach the front gate and pull out the paper Jennifer gave to me. The guard unemotionally looks at it, unlocks the gate and opens it. Wow not a single word or emotion. The gardens are simple magnificent she must have several gardeners maintaining it. I love the smell of the roses especially, I appreciate the layout as I was really into botany as Taiko. I approach the front door and nervously knock. A few moments later the door opens and a very effeminate butler answers. I use analyze and the butler is actually female but is playing the part very well so I will act like I don''t know. ¡°Miss Lara I presume?¡± I nod to her in affirmation. ¡° Mistress Jennifer told me you would be coming here this morning. We are to join the lady for a quick breakfast and then she will accompany you from there.¡± ¡°What shall I call you?¡± I asked even though I already knew her name. ¡°Just Alex is fine.¡± she answered. ¡°Well then Alex I will follow your lead.¡± We walked for several minutes through the mansion to the dining hall. Jennifer really has a passion for art as she has quite the collection. Several pieces depict little girls doing various activities like picking flowers or other girlhood activities, as matter fact there are more then few, there are many pieces. A very disturbing thought comes into my head, what if she is a lolicon and she wants to turn me into a vampire at this stage of my growth to be her plaything! Stop it pessimistic self, she just likes that type of art. I am too paranoid for my own good. At least I pray so I really don''t want to be stuck as a loli vampire. As we entered the dining hall I could see Jennifer was happy I showed up as I was going to sit down at the other end of the table but she gestured me to sit close to her. When I sat down a maid brought me a plate of ham and eggs with a delicious roll. I looked at the food to see if it was poisoned and then I began to eat with proper etiquette. ¡°So you came after all little Lara, I was afraid yesterday I was a too rude for a little bit. I apologize. I thought I might have scared you off¡± Jennifer explained. ¡°There was no need to worry or apologize, if I was even a tiny bit uncommitted I would have never approached you in the first place. There was no reason to worry about me running away or try to track me with a familiar.¡± I replied. ¡°Was my familiar that easily found out? I use him all the time to gather information and such and this is the first time he has lost a target¡± Jen remarked kind of amazed ¡°Against a normal person he would have been fine, but I was able to detect him and slip him easily with in 5 minutes. I don''t hold it against you it must have been very concerning to learn some one knew your secret and you knew little about them¡± I sort of boast how easy it was. ¡°Indeed I do know little about you. Apparently you have the entire city fooled that you are an elf except for me. So is Lara even your real name? What should I call you?¡± Jen asked ¡°My real name is Kara, but you may call me whatever you like¡± I smile at her in a friendly manner. ¡°Well if you have been going by Lara for a while now, changing it might get confusing. We will stick with it for now. Anyways I want to see what you are capable of, I have only had 1 disciple before as you can tell I am quite choosy ¡± Jen concluded. ¡°I leave you in my care¡± then I bow instead of curtsy since I am in my light leather armor. She leads me down into her massive basement that is really deep in the ground. Shit, shit, shit why do I feel like I might never leave this basement. She opens a door and there is a massive area there is a mini obstacle course a bunch of golem dummy''s around and an empty space that has the same kind of device that they had at the guild. ¡°Impressive Mistress you have a simulator¡± I state because apparently they are super expensive and super fun. ¡°You can see very well in the dark for a human, I don''t have hardly any light down here but you can pick out something way in the corner. I can see how people can mistake you for an elf.¡± She is impressed with my low light vision. ¡°So first I want you to show me abilities with weapons, I can tell that magic is probably your bread and butter from your mana. So I just want to get a feel where you are at with weapons. I am going to activate these 5 golems they are specially designed to register where you land attacks and the type of injuries you inflicted. They also attack with their weapons so make sure you dodge or parry them accordingly¡±. She touches some kind of device and it activates the golems who all come to attack me. 5 v1 off the bat? I guess she really is choosy after all. Anyways in this situation I am going with daggers since I am going to have to dodge a lot and I can whore vital points. I am surprised at how easy this is, these golems movements are easy to read. The only annoying thing is they don''t react like people would, like if you stab someone in the kidney they go into shock almost all the time but these golems keep chugging along. I quickly stab and slash vital points at a record breaking pace. I have my favorite places to attack which are the kidney, the heart, descending aorta but I am also mixing in other spots too now like the illiac, femoral, and brachial arteries. Being short makes it harder to get some of the more juicy places in the head and neck. Eventually the golems stop and go back to where they were. She is now going over the data. ¡°Incredible! I have only seen one person with superior daggers skills, and he is a high ranking member of the assassin''s guild. Every strike you landed was in a vital spot and did so with lethal force behind it. You had little wasted movements and incorporated different martial arts in as well. I was not expecting that at all I am thoroughly impressed Lara.¡± ¡°You honor me with your words Mistress¡± I was very bashful about getting praised by someone I respected so much. ¡°Do you have other weapons you are proficient in?¡± She asked ¡°Swords and bows specifically crossbows, not to the degree of my daggers but viable options for me in a fight¡± I add. ¡°Shoot those targets with your crossbow from here. Just on shot per target¡± She ordered. These targets are only 50 meters away this is well within my skill level. I quickly shot all 5 scoring 3 bulls-eyes and the other 2 were in the first inner circle. ¡°Not bad at all. But at this distance you should be getting all bulls-eyes¡± she expected perfection and I was disappointed I couldn''t deliver. ¡°I promise to work on it it Mistress. Please forgive me¡± ¡°Its fine, I am glad that you hadn''t focused all your training into only one weapon, I was concerned after seeing your daggers. Now for the sword you are going to attack me and I will defend against your attacks and gauge your skill level. Feel free to go all out.¡± She pulled out a really fancy sword form her waist. I quickly pull out my two swords I have been using for years. I start my onslaught with slashes in different places in order to gauge her guard. Not surprisingly she little weak spots and easily deflects my blows as they come in. I jump around her doing my best to mix up my movements and keep my attacks unpredictable. After about 20 seconds I find a weak spot that is worth exposing. Jennifer has been blessed with a very large bust, however this somewhat hinders her when I attack at an angle from above. So I mix in a combo attack that incorporated some acrobatic tumbling in order to achieve the angle I need. The combo was extremely successful as I was able to cut her clothes from the front causing a very fortunate wardrobe malfunction. I couldn''t help but enjoy as her double Ds flopped out of there confinement, then I felt ashamed for some reason. ¡°Mistress your chest is exposed I am sorry I didn''t mean to look.¡± I turn away my face that is red with shame. ¡°Wow you cut through these clothes they are enchanted to reduce physical attacks. You surprise me yet........Why would I care if a fellow lady saw my chest?¡± She did have a point. ¡°I am sorry its just they are so perfect. I didn''t feel I was worthy to see them.¡± I try to stop my blushing but I cant the image is auto saved into my memory. ¡°So thats how it is..... you are awfully cute when you are embarrassed. Anyways I don''t need to see anymore you were definitely right to come see me. Your skills are well beyond what other people could teach you at this stage. We need to talk about a few things over tea first though.¡± Jennifer added and we headed back upstairs. Once we got back up to the top Jennifer called one of her maids over and talked to her. ¡°This is Patricia she is going to lead you to the bath.¡± Jennifer then departed to her study. Patricia lead me though the mansion again and I couldn''t help but notice more art. Now that I think about it not just little girls, but the art was only of women. Add the fact her butler is a girl and her maids are very gorgeous. I have to be careful around her, she could be a predator. The bath was simply awesome it was decorated splendidly with feeling you were in a natural hot spring with flowers and rocks. I quickly undressed and hopped in. ¡°I will now wash your back miss Lara.¡± Patricia was awfully quick to offer that. ¡°You don''t have I can do it...¡± Not listening to me she started to scrub me down. ¡°Wow miss Lara has the softest skin I have ever felt almost like velvet.¡± Patrica was enamored by my skin which has always been this way. I assume it is a benefit of the blessing. ¡°Your mistress what would say her 3 best qualities are?¡± I was making some conversation and I figured this type of question Patricia would be able to answer. ¡°Well she is very caring to those close to her all of her servants are treated excellently. Secondly she is very successful in anything she does, she demands perfection from those around her, if you mess something up she will explain what you did wrong and then give you punishment. Third she is very honorable if she says she will do something she will do it.¡± Patricia seemed to enjoy talking about her Mistress in great detail. ¡°When you say punishment what do you specifically mean??¡± This concerned me greatly I know we have been calling her mistress but that was out of respect. I didn''t think it could be because she was a domme. ¡°Umm thats kind of private miss Lara.......... I promise you it isn''t as bad as you imagine. Its just enough to let you reflect on your mistakes.¡± Patricia tried to reassure me. We finished our bath and got up went to put on my gear again and Patricia stopped me. ¡°Mistress Jennifer has already coordinated your outfit for tea and afterwords dinner. Don''t worry she had you sized up from looking at you and she is never wrong.¡± Patricia then handed me a bunch of clothes. It was a complete outfit, black lace panties and bra (I have never worn a bra since I am completely flat there is no need), garter stockings, and heels. The dress was a black Gothic design that was sure to bring out the most of my loli look. The dress also had matching gloves, wow I guess I shouldn''t expect anything less from the Virtuoso Tailor. ¡°Umm this is kind of useless no? I have never worn one before¡± I showed her the bra and my chest where I had only slightly swollen buds not even A cup level. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Miss Lara this is a padded bra it will give you the desired look and helps complete the outfit. Since it is your first time I will help you put it on.¡± Patricia then snapped it onto me expertly then she cupped my tiny buds up and settled them into there confinement. She finished with adjusting the straps to make it fit perfectly. I looked down and I must admit the effect of the bra did give the illusion of an A cup. I want to complain but I cant I have been wearing girls stuff for years now what is one more item? I quickly finished getting dressed having Patricia comb my hair out. After finally getting zipped up by Patricia I was able to see my self in the mirror. Is that really me? I had never been into lolis as Taiko but I had to admit this particular loli in the mirror was super attractive. All the black really brought out my fair and pale skin. Patricia leads me back into the mansion to where Jennifer was waiting patiently. ¡°Wow you clean up amazingly Lara, I might have you doing some modeling for me. You are absolutely gorgeous.¡± Jennifer is smiling greatly, this is the first time I have seen her smile and it is very heartwarming. ¡°I am glad that you think so.¡± I then set down and a cup of tea is poured for me by the maid. ¡°So what is it that you want to talk about?¡± No point in delaying this conversation. ¡°You two are dismissed, Lara and me are going to have a private chat for a while¡± She dismissed the two maids and then turned her attention back towards me. ¡°As you well know I am a vampire, when I am as close as we are right now I can smell your blood. Simply by smell I can determine a person''s race almost perfectly. Your blood in particular smells of that of a young human women but with extremely high and pure mana. To be frank your blood is the most delicious thing I have ever smelt! It is hard for me to resist drinking.¡± She blushed when she said this. ¡°Mistress I told you already. That you could drink mine as long as you don''t kill me or turn me. Surely a vampire of age should be able to do this no problem. Or am I missing something?¡± I reminded her that what I said yesterday was still true. ¡°Lara the problem isn''t whether I can control myself or not turning you...... The problem is if I drink certain races bloods there can be major complications. You claim you are a 7 year old girl yet you look older and after witnessing your martial skills I have a hard time accepting it no matter how sure of my scent I am. I cant analyze you even after I made you change clothes eliminating any possible enchants.¡± Jennifer admitted to me. ¡°Don''t feel bad not even the headmaster at Mahouren can identity me, its because of one of my gifts.¡± I said and quickly realized my folly. ¡°One of? You have more then one?¡± Jennifer definitely didn''t miss my slip up. ¡°That is right....¡± I meekly confirmed. ¡°But that means you can see your own status?¡± She quickly added. I simply nod. ¡°So could you share your status with me using your own information magic?¡± Damn she is good. ¡°Although I have never attempted it, I don''t see any issues that would prevent me from doing it. However I would have several conditions that I would appreciate if you could abide by with me doing this.¡± I am putting a lot of faith in her but something about her makes me trust her. ¡°They are?¡± I have really perked her interest. ¡°First is the same condition I gave you yesterday I do not wished to be killed or turned. Second is my status and identity are to remain strictly confidential between us. Third is I want to attend magic school in a little over 2 years from now. Other then that I assume that you will train me, and I understand that I will serve you for at least that amount of time.¡± I laid out the agreement to her. ¡°I don''t see any issues except what is to happen when you leave for school. Are we cutting ties after just 2 years?¡± She asked. ¡°Of course not! I will be seeking your guidance for many years to come. I intend to make you a lifelong adviser and ally. I would have no issue following your orders as long as it doesn''t directly interfere with my own personal interests. I also would like to join the assassin''s guild when you deem me ready.¡± I explain that I would be willing to work for her as long as it was reasonable for myself. ¡°You think I can train you in just over 2 years? Even with your current skills this would be a stretch I would think.¡± She reasoned. ¡°I don''t see any problem. I am able to learn at an accelerated pace you would understand once I show you my status and skills¡± I explain that this would not be as unrealistic as she thinks. ¡°Well if you are not ready by then we will figure out how to supplement the training in between your studies.¡± She gave me a condition that I could agree to. I stuck out my hand to seal the the deal and very firmly Jennifer shook it. ¡°So I am going to hold your hand and transfer over the status to you, this may be quite shocking to you.....¡± I chanted the spell that pulls up the status and then transferred it over with mana to Jennifer.
Status Window
Name:Kara RosewoodTitle:PrincessRace:HumanGender:Female
Class:ShadowbladeSubclass:BardAge:7Level:25
Titles
The Songstress Princess,Prodigy
Resources
Health:1425/1425Mana:4210/4210Stamina:2050/2050
Stats
Strength:165Intelligence:192Agility:225Charisma:240
Wisdom:80Precision/aim:81Vitality:176Luck:70
I also send her my skills and magic affinities. She takes several minutes to go through it. She then looks over at me speechless. Then all of a sudden she starts laughing hysterically. I don''t know how to read this behavior. ¡°You are the famous Songstress Princess that was supposedly dead? I wonder what dear old William would say if he found out his daughter faked her own death became a cold blooded killer and came to the crimson widow to become her disciple. Whahahahahahaha this is priceless!¡± She was tearing up now. ¡°I just don''t understand why you would give up that life for this one? Surely that life was a lot more comfortable and secure?¡± She had a decent point but my reasons were simple. ¡°There are many reasons why I chose this path the main reason was to get stronger. I don''t want to have rely on other people to protect me, and I don''t want my growth to be restrained. As you can see my potential is extremely high, I intend to maximise it. In the castle I wasn''t able to do the things I wanted to become stronger because my safety came way above and beyond anything else. The second reason is because I found that I like to kill people, I seriously get enjoyment out of it which is still disturbing to myself. The final reason is because I don''t like men at least not in a romantic way, and being forced to marry one as a political piece would be absolute hell.¡± I explained my reasons. ¡°You are only 7 you have no idea what you might fancy in 6 years.¡± She countered. ¡°That very well may be true. I do harbor feelings for other women currently. I don''t think these feelings will simply disappear as I develop. If I find someone I want to be with and they happen to be female or not a noble, or not even human. I don''t want to be denied that opportunity.¡± ¡°Such is the fate of nobility¡± she said as if she was reminiscing about something. ¡°The strong control their own fate, this is why I walk this path.¡± I reply with confidence. ¡°Well when you told me you were the best disciple on the planet you were not lying to me. In fact I still am having a hard time swallowing the fact that one person has 3 gifts and 2 blessings. Your potential is enough to rival or surpass the hero and demon king. To be completely honest you are an enigma to this world. If you are allowed to fully develop there is no telling what effects you will have on this world.¡± Jennifer was digesting all this. ¡°I just care about myself and those I have relationships with. World domination is too much of a hassle. ¡± I say. Jennifer pulled out a beautiful choker with various gems on it surely it is enchanted as well ¡° This is my gift to you my disciple, upon wearing this you accept to come under my tutelage. I promise to uphold our agreement and expect you to serve while under my care.¡± I leaned forward and held up my hair as she snapped the choker around my neck. I felt myself become lighter this thing is definitely boosting my stats . Then I felt extreme pleasure not from the choker but from my nape. I looked down and my Mistress had decided to finally take me up on my offer to drink my blood. Incredible I know the nape is an erogenous zone but this is insane. The pleasure kept washing over me and involuntarily a small moan came out of my mouth. As she pulled away I noticed that my health, stamina, and mana had all dropped a couple hundred points nothing I wouldn''t regen fairly quickly. My cheeks are so red right now from my embarrassment of producing such a lewd noise. ¡°I thought it would be tasty but your blood Lara is simply perfection. I actually had to forcibly stop before I did something irreversible.¡± She looks like she had enjoyed that as much as I did. ¡°For the next two years you will live with me in my mansion. You will help me with my needs, whether it be drinking blood, tailoring, or what ever I need, and I will make sure to teach you what you need to know to truly master the art of assassination. We will say you are my niece coming to live me after you family was killed. I expect you to not bring shame to my name.¡± Jennifer added. ¡°I am in your care mistress.¡± I then curtsy. This is going to be a crazy experience to say the least. Chapter 14 The Angel of Death Chapter 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Small time skip here, a few people were complaining about a huge quality drop, I reread the whole story and I couldn''t see it. To be honest I felt this chapter was my best yet. Nonetheless I will try to spend more time on each chapter to keep it more polished so updates are going to take longer.... I had hard time trying to breaking this up into two chapters so its super long sorry ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Angel of Death It took me one year but I finally got Jennifer''s endorsement to sign up with the assassin''s guild. My training with her is not quite complete, but she thinks I am to the point where I can take out some easier contracts. She has been working me to the bone, I thought that my grandpa as Taiko was ruthless, but Jennifer is on a whole other level. She maybe very strict but its not like she isn''t willing to be flexible with me. Let me describe my typical day to you. Everyday I get up before sunrise and get in some cardio running around the gardens. After quickly washing up I then head to breakfast making sure I am dressed appropriately because after breakfast we head straight for her shop. This was also Jennifer''s preferred time to drink from me. She used to drink from Alex before my arrival, but now she really fancies my blood. I thought Alex might be jealous but she thought only of her mistresses pleasure and if my blood was tastier for her she was fine with that. Her shop gets a lot of business because her quality is well known. Orders come in from across the continent from all types of nobles and merchants. She has me doing everything at the shop from working the counter, to working in back with cutting and stitching, to helping her do paperwork. Although working isn''t the most fun thing, it is part of my agreement with her plus I am developing a tailoring skill that will be useful down the road. After working into the afternoon, she lets me go for a few hours. This is time I get to hang out with Siena and Zyra, or go to the library, whatever I need to do. Siena was surprised that I was working and not adventuring. I told her that I was still training, but right now adventuring had gotten very boring for me. I let her know I was taking a break from it, and she was sad but understood. We still get to hang out and Jennifer would let me alter my schedule if we wanted to get a dinner or do something in the evening. After my break I head back to the shop to meet back up with Jennifer. We generally get a lunch after this at one of the restaurants. Sometimes we would do some shopping, sometimes we would meet up with someone, other times we would head back to the mansion right away. Once we got back to the mansion Jennifer would set me up on her simulator for the next few hours, she always changed the regiment. She would then depart, either to check up on the assassins guild, or deal with issues in the mansion. The simulations could range from infiltrating a building and taking out a marked target to having to deal with several high level guards protecting a target. Sometimes it would have me unequip my weapons and simulate a situation where I had to deal with armed people unarmed. Basically she was helping me to train for any type of scenario, its the same training she does for herself. After doing the simulator regiment that was planned, if I had time I would either run the obstacle course that was incredibly difficult, otherwise I would train on the golems or practice my archery skills on the targets. One of the maids would come and get me to wash up before dinner and help me bathe and dress for dinner. I noticed that none of Jennifer''s servants were vampires which is kind of strange but I was happy to know that she didn''t forcibly turn people. Patricia wasn''t lying about her caring about her servants. She also wasn''t lying about the punishment! My first time being punished was really scary I had accidentally slept in and I wasn''t ready for breakfast. Her punishment is very effective, she spanks you accordingly to the offense. You don''t know how shameful it is to see yourself being spanked in the mirror as a little girl. The spanks hurt but after a few its not so bad, its just afterwords that you have to deal with residual pain. I was wondering why Jennifer appears in mirror''s and she explained it was some kind of illusion enchant she has. She also had no problem going outside in the sunlight because she had the blood of the daywalker, apparently sunlight only weakens her abilities but she takes no damage from it. She basically has no problem hiding the fact that she is a vampire, the only thing that could do it would be information magic and she always had enchants to ward against that. After dinner it was finally time for one on one training. This training was extremely varied, and almost everyday we would be going over something different. I was learning illusion magic which was Jennifer''s specialty. Illusion magic is extremely handy for any job, it can fool, trick and lull a target in a false sense of security. It also is useful for distractions, leading people into traps, as well as confusion when you escape. She was pleased at how quick I was picking it up. Other training included, teaching me various ways to kill someone. I obviously was quite skilled at attacking people with daggers, but sometimes this would not be an option. I learned various techniques such as strangling someone with a wire, snapping there neck, choking someone unconscious so I could interrogate them later. She taught me different ways to use poisons, other then coating weapons with them or slipping something tasteless to them to be ingested. Dark magic was also trained, although at my current level and affinity wasn''t high enough for sexy options like a death curse, there were several spells I could still do at this level. Inflict wound, blind, and curse of exhaustion all were useful. Necromancy is also apart of dark magic but Jennifer did not know any spells in particular so I would have to seek a book or teacher which as you can guess are not easy to find. Necromancy is a forbidden art in all human countries punishable by death. Some nights we would go over casing a target. How to learn there habits, how to spot weaknesses. All my murders had primarily been ambushes where I would just go in when from behind and stab a vital place and move on. Always in a place isolated from other people like an alley or out in the wilderness. Jennifer told me that she got the most satisfaction of going right up to someone and killing them in front of other people in a public place and getting away. She explained that crowds were often the most convenient places to escape in. We also went over different races and there potential weak spots for example a cat person''s tail has an artery that can be attacked or if you hit the tailbone you can stun them temporarily. Every race had different weak spots but many were shared among the races. Some nights we would just spar with each other. Often times sparring with a superior opponent was one of the best ways to improve your skills. I found myself leveling up faster then I ever had and my skills were leveling fast as well. If only I had found Jennifer when I first arrived here in Zyrus I would surely be a lot stronger then I am now........ After personal training she would have me do more exercises to drain me of what little stamina and mana I had left. If for some reason had way a lot left I would let Jennifer get some bonus blood to help whittle it down. The goal was to go to sleep every night having spent just about everything. My relationship with Jennifer has really blossomed. At first, I was very submissive to her simply out of respect and fear. No one in there right mind is going ask to be an apprentice to a pure-blood vampire assassin that is almost 4 times more powerful then you and not be submissive and respectful. Vampires have a very strict hierarchy so it makes sense to act this way. Honorifics such as Lady and Mistress were easy to get use to as they are common in Japanese anyways. Eventually Jennifer told me it was ok to talk to her more informally, she reminded me I was not her slave or pet but her adorable apprentice. I cant help but smile when I see her now. She has the Mandy effect on me, I want to do everything in my power to help her or make her smile. I would often sing for her at dinner as well as cook for her when I had the opportunity. She may be the Crimson Widow to the world, but to those close to her she has a very sweet side to her. This choker is my most prized possession not only because it has a super powerful enchant but because it signifies our relationship. I will wear it proudly. I dont know how I am going to be able to leave her. She has grown attached to me as well. Apparently there is the belief in vampires that the more a vampire drinks some ones blood the stronger there bond with that person becomes. I don''t know if this is a fact but for Jennifer it has been true. She often sneaks into my bed to cuddle, comes to help me bathe, and she loves dressing me up in her newest designs. She becomes so pleased every time I learn something new from her. It is almost like I am the daughter that she never had. So leaving her will be tough for the both of us. I guess we will cross that bridge when we cross it. I have no doubt she will keep her agreement with me its just going to be difficult. So back to what has my so excited about today. Toady I get to join the assassin''s guild! From what Jennifer has told me the group is super secretive and all the contracts people place are done through a handler. The handler has no idea of anyone''s identity from the guild in case they are caught. Being a handler was a dangerous job because if you are ever caught it was a guaranteed death sentence. Anyways once contracts are established they are available in the guild. Only one assassin is allowed per each one to stop fighting within the guild. Also if you already had a contract you would have to wait for 1 day to take on any new contracts that came available this eliminated people from hoarding contracts. The contract was to be carried out within seven days. If you were unable to eliminate the mark within this time you had to pay a severe penalty, as well as face possible demotion. The rank system is similar to the adventurer''s guild but apparently ranking up was done a lot quicker. Jennifer''s current rank was S, apparently there was other rank S''s in other cities but here she was top dog. Jennifer had given me the day off today to rest up for tonight. I was going to join tonight and apparently it isn''t as simple as touching an orb and paying a fee. When I asked her about it she simply said she wasn''t able to tell me. For my 8th birthday she had given me a beautiful enchanted black outfit that was much better then my leather gear. It consisted of a skirt,belt, blouse, knee socks, boots, gloves and a hooded cloak all of it colored black and stylishly designed. It covered my skin almost completely giving me adequate protection. With this I would be hard to see in the dark and if I wanted to I could blend in with a crowd. I have the best master ever! I basically lounged around today making sure I had everything ready in my spacial ring in case there was any trial or if something went wrong. Now I was enjoying the garden and fresh air waiting for her to get home. Finally Jennifer got home at the usual time late in the afternoon. ¡°I love how that outfit looks on you, I made it so I can adjust it for you as you grow.¡± she said as she saw me enjoying the roses. Jennifer casually walked up towards me, and plucked a rose stylishly placing it in my hair with golden beret. She then leaned over and looked at me square in the eyes. ¡°I am going to ask you once more for the hundredth time are you sure you want to join the guild? Once you become a member there is no going back.¡± She asked me in a serious tone. ¡°I am sure as long as I get to choose my own contracts. I have no issues¡± I hadn''t come this far to chicken out. Getting paid to take out filth is a dream job. She handed me a paper with a black seal on it and told me to hold onto it. The guild itself was about a 25 minute walk from the mansion it was in the wealthy district that Jennifer had her shop in. Jennifer put her veil on and told me to put up my hood as we were almost there. We came up to a building that looked like it was some sort of private lounge. ¡°When we get up to door give the doorman that paper¡± Jennifer whispered to me and began walking up to the front. When she got up to the door the doorman she showed the doorman her hand and he touched one of her rings she had on. I think he sent some magic into it, this must be how they determine if you are a member or not. There is no way this guy is your average doorman, I used analyze and I found out he was indeed a level 60. There were a couple more guys in the area too that looked like they were backup as they were all around level 50. I pulled out the paper Jennifer had given to me earlier, and gave the doorman a big smile as I handed it to him. It seems my appearance had caught him off guard as he took a few second to register that I wanted in. After giving me an expression like ''yeah right'' he turned his attention to the paper in his hand. He poured some mana into it and the paper burned black and I could see a weird symbol form from the smoke. The guy somewhat surprised just shrugged and let me in. The inside of the lobby was very much like that of bar. It seemed very relaxed and informal compared to what you would expect of a private lodge. A few patrons were loosely spread throughout the lobby. Several people were conscious of their identity and had there faces partially obscured by various means, other didn''t seem to care. Everyone''s attention immediately turned to Jennifer and then me and I could hear some light murmurs amongst the patrons. Anyways Jennifer lead me to the side of the bar towards the wall, there she touched the wall and did something I could not see, and the wall opened up. It was a secret door, this is definitely a smart design, have the appearance of a private lodge and if the guards come and check it out they would most likely not find or be able to activate the hidden door. After traveling down the hallway we entered another room this one was a lot different then the bar part. It looked like a normal guild reception lobby. There was a counter with a very dangerous looking level 57 cat-girl as an attendant next to the counter was a huge board with various people''s name on it along with some basic intel on them. Going through this lobby we came to a door to an apparent office. Jennifer knocked and a male voice told her to come in. Inside the office there was a 3 people sitting in chairs. I only paid attention to the imposing looking man with white hair and an eye patch and scar across the eye with the patch. He had his one eye fixated on me. He then spoke ¡°Do you swear to keep everything we say here between us under penalty of death?¡± ¡°Yes¡± I state. ¡°So you are the one that the Crimson widow has been teaching, I must admit you look awfully young but I am not so naive to be deceived by looks. I am the guild-master here in Zyrus you may call me Odyne¡± I found it very ironic that he resembled the image of the norse god Odin in a way. ¡°Its nice to meet you, I would like to refrain from using my real name so you may call me by what ever alias you wish.¡± Jennifer let me know that I didn''t have to reveal my true identity here and I could use an alias like she did. ¡°Very well for now I will refer to you recruit until you earn your nickname. Well it appears you want to join the assassin''s guild. The assassin''s guild is an actually an ancient organization we are established in most major cities and even on the elven and demon continent. Once you are a member you can take contracts out of any branches. That being said there is still one more trial for you to do, you must complete your first mark that I have picked for you tonight. This is not going to be an easy target either. For blood to come in blood has to go out.¡± Odyne ¡°Very well whom am I assigned to snuff out?¡± I said very professionally. ¡°The target is the duke of Bosen Phillip the second.¡± Odyne said it causally but everyone in the room was astounded and started talking all at once. Loudest was Jennifer who I could tell was beyond distraught to the point of crying. She very tightly grabbed my hand. ¡°Sir a Duke is at least an A rank mission maybe even S depending on the duke. Giving this difficult of mission as an initiation is fucking bullshit and vindictive. This is to get back at me for what happened with your brother isn''t it? How can you drag someone unrelated into our affairs¡± She held my hand if to let know she would protect me even if it meant crossing the guild and causing a blood bath here. I couldn''t let her do this. ¡°Oh course not. It is the guild-master''s responsibility to pick every recruit''s initiation mission. Being the Crimson Widow''s apprentice this mission should be within her ability. Your initiation is not supposed to be easy.¡± Odyne was clearly pleased he was upsetting Jennifer. I am sure there is some history there. I could tell that Jennifer was now just pissed. I need to calm her down before she does something stupid. I grabbed her hands looked into her eyes through her veil. ¡°Don''t worry I will be fine. I promised I would never shame your name. You think I would fail such an easy job like a duke?¡± I put up a big smile and I was able to crack her defenses and got a slight giggle out of her. Truthfully I was very worried about this mission. Also this bastard is using me to upset my beloved Jennifer. I won''t forgive this Odyne! ¡°This Duke what has he done to have some one put a contract on him? I know it shouldn''t matter but it may effect the manner in which I end his life.¡± I ask curious about the target. ¡°He has been secretly plotting against the royal family. He steals taxes that his duchy collects. He also beat his wife to death who was a daughter of one the emperors concubines he claimed it was in a carriage accident but he had a history of abuse on her.¡± Odyne said, and I had no reason to doubt him. ¡°Whats the pay? I assume its fair¡± I ask. ¡°500 gold¡± Odyne said it like it wasn''t anything special. ¡°Well I don''t have any choice and this guy is definitely dirt. Where can I find him?¡± I know well enough that that there is no backing out of this its kill or be killed. At least this guy is dirt and I am getting paid a shit ton. ¡°He is here in the capital, his purposes are to meet with the emperor for political issues. That is all I can say...... from here on out tonight you are on your own good luck young recruit!¡± Odyne said this with a huge smile. The room was however filled with killing intent from Jennifer. I see why the other 2 people are here now they are here as backup. The fact that she cared so much for me meant a lot to me. However this is fine I don''t want to be protected or dealt with kid gloves, I wanted to be challenged. If they are setting me up to fail then I will just have to surprise them. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. I quickly departed from the guild as I have to complete the mission by sunrise. I needed information and fast. I knew one place that I could get it but it wouldn''t be cheap but at this point I had no choice. I quickly traveled to the thieves guild which more our less was in a huge saloon in the slums. I get quite a few people asking me if I was lost or whatever I just ignore them. I see my contact in his usual place enjoying a drink and watching a stripper. His name was Randall his is an information broker and he is good at what he does. ¡°Long time no see Randall.¡± I causally sit down next to him. It might be slightly awkward to be sitting with a 8 year old girl in front of a stripper but in the slums its anything goes. The current lady is pretty hot and doing a good job so I throw a few silver up for her. ¡°If it isn''t the little girl who wanted me to her get a class.¡± I had used him a few times before so I already knew what his prices. ¡°I need to know where somebody is and I need to know within a few hours.¡± I slip him a note with the dukes name on it. He reads it and quickly burns it with a small amount of fire magic. ¡°40 because its a rush job.¡± He said while admiring the lady in front of him. 40 gold for some simple information it pretty ridiculous. My other option would be search the whole city for hours and maybe not find him or any leads. That bastard Odyne probably could have given me this for free I know for a fact there was more intel for me. I didn''t have any choice it would be completely dark soon. I slipped him 40 gold very begrudgingly. ¡°Meet me in the alley behind Holly''s Dolls in about two hours I am going to enjoy myself tonight.¡± I bet you are 40 gold for 2 hours of work maybe I should become an information broker. I paid a silver to rent a room close to the meeting place I just laid down and read a book I had in spacial storage. Finally time has to come to meet up. ¡°I got some good news and I got some better news.¡± Randall seemed pleased with the job he did. ¡°The good news is the person you are looking for is attending a masquerade ball tonight. The better news I have a ticket for the low price of 10....¡± he looked at my not amused expression ¡° I mean 5 gold.¡± I slapped the gold into his hand and grabbed the ticket. ¡°Don''t spend it in all in one place.¡± While I was still upset of coughing up 45 gold for this information I was still extremely pleased of this opportunity. The party would definitely lower the security directly around the Duke but the exterior was sure to be strong for an event like this. I would have to look and see what kind of measures they were taking and plan how I am going to carry out the deed accordingly. The party starts in over an hour and it is not too far from the mansion I will go and get dressed there. Ugh this is going to be such a pain to squeeze in before the party. I quickly head over the mansion When I arrive I am surprised because Patricia is waiting in the lobby for me. ¡°Mistress sent a message with her familiar that you would need an outfit for a masquerade coordinated for tonight. She mentioned one in particular from her collection ¡± I cant help but smile she really is awesome this is going to save me a bunch of time. I can even take a quick bath. ¡°Ok can you get it ready for me I am going wash up real quick.¡± I rush to the bath to wash up real quick. I headed to the bath and quickly undressed and hopped in. It felt so good, then a familiar face come in. ¡°Alex how are you? I am in kind of in a hurry so I don''t think I have time chat.¡± I smiled shyly at her very athletic and lean body as she was getting ready for a bath herself. ¡°If that is so I will wash your back to save you some time miss Lara.¡± I had no reason to decline her it would help get me out of here quicker. Her soft hand started to lather me up. I was very tense from the fear and anticipation of what I had to do tonight. I tried hard to hide it I didn''t need another person to worry about it but Alex could easily see through it. ¡°Whats wrong Miss Lara you are awfully tense and shaking a little.¡± I cant tell her anything about what I have to do but I honestly want to tell her my feelings we have become decently close, having lived under the same roof for a year. ¡°I am really scared right now...... but I need to be strong right now for both me and for mistress Jennifer.¡± I looked at her teary eyed these emotions I don''t know where they came from. I needed to cry at the time and I couldn''t keep it in. She quickly hugged me from behind with her head draped over my shoulder and then reassured me ¡°You are special just like the mistress, if you believe in yourself you will succeed no matter what the trial.¡± With that vote of confidence, I finished up bathing and was determined to succeed with renewed vigor. I had the help of 3 maids getting dressed. The outfit was consisted of a pure white dress almost like a wedding gown but the skirt part stopped at the knees. Included were matching gloves that I noticed had a hidden compartment along the forearm. The costume also had small fake wings sticking out the back of it. This outfit made me look like an angel it had a mask that came with it but I preferred my mask of Grena. The demonside of the mask was sort of distracting and the maids didn''t like it at all so after arguing with them I compromised them to let them do my hair that covered that half of my face with golden blond locks. I must say it was they did a great job, they even put in the rose I had in from earlier, it was my idea. I headed out the party. When I saw the security outside I became very concerned not only that there was there a lot of guards everywhere, I could clearly sense there was a very strong magic barrier around the mansion. I was very familiar with this type of barrier because Jennifer had the same thing over her mansion. The only place we could practice magic was in the deep basement that was just out of its reach. This meant I wouldn''t be able to use my spacial ring so I would have to sneak in my weapons beforehand through the front door. I decided to set up my switching doll in a back alley across the street from the party I would be able to potentially use it if I got far enough away from the mansion. As for weapons my shoes were designed to be able to conceal small objects in the heels and long thin items in the soles. I am able hide two 4 inch throwing knives in each sole. In one heel I hid a vial of a extremely potent and fast acting high poison and my activation rune for the switching doll in the other. Hiding things in my gloves was stupid and I absolutely refused to use any of my own ''personal'' hiding places so this would be all I would get for this mission. I closed my eyes took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. I opened them back up completely focused and ready to go. Thankfully I was almost 5 feet now so while I was short relatively with heels and good posture my size wasn''t a major red flag for a party like this. As I walked up to the door I held a small charge of mana in my hand, when this was extinguished I would know when the magic barrier started. It was just little bit outside the house itself where it started, so I would be able to use magic and items once I escaped to the courtyard. I gave the attendant my ticket got searched very throughly and entered. The masque ball was absolutely packed there had to be hundreds of people here and all them were hidden behind masks. Normally it would be extremely difficult to find one person who''s face you couldn''t see and had never seen before but normally you don''t have a gift like that of God''s information. There were several areas different areas in this ball. The biggest area consisted of dance floor in front of the dance floor was a stage and with a decent sized band who played various types of dance pieces. The second biggest area was by the balconies over looking the gardens of the estate, there were many tables set up and here is where the food and drink could be found this was a sort of informal meeting area for the party. The last area in this hall was an upstairs area that with several private booths for people who wanted to have a quiet area to talk that wasn''t a balcony. Many people were asking me to dance, and I did my best to shrug them off. Apparently my outfit was very popular. I had to a job to do sorry people. I didn''t take the duke to be a dancer so I ruled out the dance floor. My gut told me he was upstairs in a booth. As usual my gut was right on the duke was sitting in a booth with a woman having a conversation. I guess he was over his wife he killed. He was wearing a fox mask, which was fit his personality of being a political schemer. Now that I know where he is its time to prep my weapons. I headed to the women''s lavatory which had way to many people just hanging out chit chatting. I did my best to ignore them and finally I had the privacy of my own stall. I took off my heels and as discreet as possible popped them open to retrieve my supplies. I would stash the throwing knives in my gloves and the vial of poison was small enough where I could conceal it easily with in my padded bra. The rune page I tucked into the waist band of my panties, its ok this paper is resist to water so sweat wont ruin it. Snapping the heels back together securely I returned to the ball room. I very quickly started to head towards the stairs to the upper part when a very nostalgic voice froze me in my tracks. ¡°Will you dance with me?¡± The voice seemed so familiar that I had no choice but to turn around. A tall boy wearing a simple domino mask looked at me with his hand extended. I check him with analyze because I am sure I know him and I am extremely surprised to see that the boy is none other then my own 12 year old brother Aaron Rosewood. I just stand there completely taken aback by my discovery. What the hell are you doing here Aaron this is not a safe place, there are dangerous people like me around! ¡°Dance? Would you like to dance?¡± His words brought me back into focus. Against my better judgment I take his hand. He leads me to the dance floor and the song starts and it is a quick waltz. I am surprised at how good Aaron is at ball room dancing or maybe its just my effect as a bard? Anyways the dance is very fun as he is following my lead with no problems. Soon we have quite a few onlookers appreciating our skillful display. After keeping it up for the whole song the dance finally ends. Amazing, that was probably the most fun I have had in along time. It seems the band is breaking for an intermission so he leads me to a balcony. ¡°That was crazy you are super good at dancing. I had so much fun!¡± It seems he had as much fun as I. ¡°I like that particular waltz. The dance picks up with the tempo so its hard for some people keep up with it¡± I think I will toy with him a little bit, its my sisterly duty and he probably isn''t even suppose to be here I really doubt father would willingly allow that. It seems he''s gone rebellious after my disappearance. ¡°You know you remind me of someone very dear to me. That shade of blond was the same she had when I saw it I couldn''t help but approach you.¡± ¡°Oh so a former lover or a crush?¡± I ask him knowing full well who he is actually talking about. His blushing when I said crush kind of creeped me out a though. ¡°Nothing like that just someone extremely special and dear to me¡± He said this gazing into the starry night reminiscing about me clearly I had caused a major pain in his heart. I feel so unbelievable guilty right now. What in the hell have I done? I''m a monster. Literally my heart is in my throat. I need to get out of here now before I start crying. I go to leave. ¡°Wait I didn''t get your name or learn much about you.¡± Aaron asked me as I turned my back. I turned around to him to say one last thing. ¡°Isn''t that the whole point? Everyone wears a mask here so they can be someone different and mingle with people that they would not normally meet. Telling people who you were defeats that purpose and could be extremely dangerous. For example I could be a cold blooded assassin and you could be a ¡­............prince.¡± His expression turned straight soar when I said prince and brought me a slight giggle. I left him with that, I will make it up to all of them one day I promise. Aaron went to follow me but I slipped him I have wasted enough time I need to get this over with and get the hell out of here. I look up to the upper deck area to see if I can spot Philip. Shit he left, I look around for him he is sort of tall and his fox mask is unique. Since the band is on intermission the dance floor is full of people carrying on there own conversations spread out mostly in small circles. I spend several minutes panicking to find him. Finally after a few minutes I spot him but its super bad news he is headed to the exit with one the girl from earlier. Why did I have to waste so much time with Aaron! Its impossible to make it to him from where I am there is literally shoulder to shoulder people in between me and the duke and I am on the other side of a huge ballroom right by the stage...... I quickly jump on the stage and sit down by the piano and immediately start playing a very melancholic sonata popular in this country. At first I find it difficult to sing with a mask on but after a few seconds the bard in me kicks in and it has little effect on me or my voice. People suddenly are pulling up close to the stage as this particular sonata is sad but extremely beautiful. I myself am tearing up as I can feel the power of the song inside me as well as thinking about all the grief I have caused my family. Its working! The duke is getting drawn to me. Like when the crimson widow killed Lazlo I pour my focus on the duke, he is snared in my web now I need to reel him in. Yes come to me my sweet prey! By the end of the song the duke has pushed his way right up close to the stage guess I got him to ditch that slut. Typical greedy man, why am I not surprised he is a pedophile too on top of being a wife beater. Filth like this needs to be purged. As a matter fact he just gave me inspiration! As Taiko I listened to all kinds of music and one of them that I remember were known as murder ballads. I am inspired to sing ''The Murder Ballad of Duke Phillip the Second'' that I just created in my head. Yay go bard powers! I stand up from the piano and bow down to the crowd as they are going crazy as if I was a real angel, as I bend down I pull the vial out of my very small bust skillfully and conceal it in my palm. Then I stand up with both my hands behind my back as I am getting my two throwing knives ready with poison Time for an encore! ?¡°There once was a duke from a far away land.¡±? ?¡°He had a lot of power but he wanted more in his hand.¡±? ?¡°He stole from his people and also from his king.¡±? ?¡°About his death I do now sing!¡±? ?¡°The duke treated women like they were property¡±? ?¡°He beat them up when they didn''t act properly¡±? ?¡°Then one day he went too far with his blows¡±? ?¡°His wife died accident was how his story goes¡±? ?¡°He upset lots of people from all the lies they were fed¡±? ?¡°And one of them had decided to put a price on his head.¡±? ?¡°The assassin got real close to him, right under his nose.¡±? ?¡°And threw him two poisoned knives and a red rose.¡±? Right before I said the last verse I grabbed the flower from my hair and uncovered the other side of my mask. As I said the verse I made it a true murder ballad and acted out the line. It is a shame he has that stupid fox mask on I cant see his face right now! I bet he is so shocked to see two knives buried in his chest. Anyways its time to leave and I don''t think back through the crowd with the many approaching guards is smart.... I turn back to the stage and I draw back on my experiences as Taiko. There was a game show that would have contestants run an obstacle course and it was timed. My first year in college I gave it a shot and was surprised I cleared the course but the next one they had me do I messed up on some stupid part where you had to jump on a trampoline and catch yourself in between two walls. I cant help I wasn''t super tall! I run up the curtain and climb up it quickly I weigh like under 50 kilos and it easily supports my weight. At the top of the curtain I swing my foot up and kick the pulley system keeping the curtain spread and it quickly slides to the middle to meet the other curtain. Now I put my hands on the bar that the curtain hangs on and swing back and forth finally doing some full circles building momentum like a gymnast doing uneven bars. Right as I swing up I let go and launch myself to chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The chandelier is now swinging back and forth and I use my hips to get it spin slightly clockwise once it lined up with where I want to I swing back and forth and launch my self towards the balcony area grabbing on the huge curtain. The curtain that cant stand the force completely and comes falling down. It did its job slowing down my momentum though as I am easily able to land on the ground and run out on the balcony. I jump off the balcony doing a small somersault to disperse the force when I land. I sprint away from the barrier and reach into my panties and pull out the ward. As soon as I feel I left the barrier I activated the rune and feel a very strange sensation as I am pulled through space into the alley where I had the doll. Like my life depends on it I quickly slip out the dress storing it and all other things except undergarments I was wearing in the ring and slip on a skirt and top I have for quick changing. I return to the mansion without anyone seeing me. Job well done! I pretty much go straight to bed as my heart cant take any more activity or excitement for a while and immediately pass out. When I wake up I find a certain someone cuddled up next to me who has cold and pale skin as well as red hair. She looks at me when I open my eyes and smiles. ¡°Well congratulations you are in. I honestly was very scared. I know you are skilled but that level of mission was definitely premature. You should have seen Odyne face when the story about how the ''Angel of Death'' had killed the duke in front of hundreds of people and escaped. I was so worried about you, that bastard is going to pay for what he did! You can get your ring and bounty tomorrow. That is your new alias in the guild the Angel of Death pretty cool right?¡± I check my status and I do in fact have that title now. I look at her and cant help but boast a little. ¡°There was no doubt I was going to do it. I am your adorable apprentice after all.¡± Chapter 15 A Glimpse Into the Future Chapter 15 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Been dealing with a bad RSI in one of my hands so it took awhile for this chapter, coding for 8 hours a day, typing up stuff for school and writing this novel finally caught up with me in a very nasty way. Anyways decided I wanted to extend this ark out more then what I had originally planned. School ark will follow. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Glimpse Into the Future What a night last night! I completed my first major contract with the assassins'' guild. However that did not excuse me from my daily schedule as I was ready to head to the shop for the day. As we went down the street I noticed a fresh new paper on the bulletin board. The paper had an illustration of an angel with long hair wearing the dress I had on last night. The paper said ''Wanted The Angel of Death bounty 1000 gold alive 250 gold dead.'' I also noticed another poster that was decently weathered. ''Wanted the Crimson Widow bounty 3000 gold dead or alive.'' Jennifer whispered into my ear ¡°Impressive already a 4 digit bounty after one night someone has been naughty. These posters are pretty pointless unless someone can successfully identify you. They sure put them up quick though . Somebody really wants to talk to you......¡± ¡°And somebody wants you dead.¡± We both laughed as we are wanted by the law. Its a good thing I know for a fact my information broker Randall isn''t stupid enough to try to cross me, but I need to be careful. Other people are stupid, and I don''t want to extra issues. I had talked to Jennifer this morning letting her know I saw my brother at the ball yesterday and I needed to know why he is here in Zyrus. Surely he is with Father or Max as well. I can only think of a number of potential reasons why he would be so far from home and all of them have political ramifications. After finishing my morning shift in the shop. I decide that my free time tonight would be dedicated to figuring out why some members in my family are here. I don''t want to ask Randall because I just used him last night and he is probably really worn out for his time in the brothel last night. Anyways I am sure something this huge would be pretty easy to find the information I needed. It was easy to find it out. Apparently every 5 years there is a summit for the military commanders of the human countries to agree on strategy and policy in the event of a demon invasion as well as reestablishing a coalition of human countries. This one was being held in Zyrus. Every few hundred or so years there tends to be a demon invasion led by the demon king. If the demon army starts to really become a problem a hero is often summoned. A demon army invasion is definitely a possibility in the near future since it has been almost three hundred years since the last one. A few demons live in the population having broke free from the demon king''s influence, they are for the most part isolated socially from the general population out of prejudiced feelings. However demons are very skilled in combat and are represented well in both the adventurer''s guild and the assassin''s guild. At the conclusion of every summit there is a tournament held that is fought with weapons and no magic. It is mainly for entertainment, as well as being a showcase of the best of the officers in each army. While the focus is on the armies it is an open tournament so other people can enter as well and several do as the prize is usually something worthwhile. The tournament isn''t to the death just till you incapacitate your opponent. However every few tournaments somebody dies on accident usually from an accidental head attack that is illegal. As long you don''t die immediately there is a arch priest who can heal you even from a fatal attack. Resurrection magic was a level 8 holy spell and would have to be done within a few minutes of death and required an absurd amount of mana. People with such high of holy level an affinity were unknown and few. If I can get a seat in the stands I will be able to get a good look at Aaron and maybe Max since he was most likely here too. They would be watching the event from the safety of a booth. It might sound sort of corny but I just wanted to see them. I would buy something from Zyra to change my hair color since Aaron would be able to pick out my shade if I go as is. Even though I could probably do the illusion myself I kind of wanted an excuse to see Zyra so this works out. ¡°Lara what a surprise!¡± Zyra shrieked in surprise running up and hugging me tightly. She has always been touchy feely with Siena and me. Not that I mind it. ¡°Hey Zyra you still have those hairpins that can change your hair color I know you just recently started selling them? I wanted to buy a few.¡± I ask her as we let go of our embrace. ¡°Ugh why would you change from what you have already? I love you hair color.¡± Zyra didn''t understand my reasoning. ¡°I just wanted to change things up you know for fun aren''t you curious what I look like with different colored hair? Its not permanent or anything.¡± It seems that I have perked her interest as she went in the back to retrieve said items. ¡°Ok I got your red, silver, and black. I was sort of curious what Lara would look like with silver hair just like a normal elf.¡± Zyra handed me the hair pins. I quickly clipped in the silver. ¡°Wow you do look good! ¡± she said. ¡°I will buy all 3. Let Siena know I said I miss her next time you see her.¡± I handed her the money for the items. ¡°We are getting lunch tomorrow she just got back you should come with us. She said she needed to talk to you about something in the guild¡± ¡°Sure just give me the details?¡± After saying goodbye to her I returned to Jennifer''s shop. Today we went right to the assassins'' guild after work. Jennifer had to go get the guild manager to let the front doorman know I was good to come in. After leading us back into his office we sat down for some tea. That I checked for poisons ever suspicious of this bastard. ¡°You did well Angel of Death, not only did you successfully kill him in the allotted time, but you did so under difficult circumstances. People were still stunned how you were able to track him down bypass security, and escape from the ball that was not lacking at all in security. You are truly the Crimson Widows apprentice.¡± Odyne was trying to lionize me. He must realize that I am decently strong and is trying to repair our relationship. I could care less about him. ¡°I am not here for flattery just for my ring and my coin.¡± I say very business like. ¡°Very well come up here¡± I looked towards Jennifer and she gave me the confirmation nod to go ahead. I walked up him and waited for instructions. ¡°So put on this ring then pour a little bit of mana into it then place that hand on this book¡± He pulled out a book that definitely had a magical pulse to it. Its not a grimoire but definitely has a dark energy to it. I slipped on the ring it was way to big for my little fingers, when I put mana into it instantly fit perfect the black gem glowed pure white. I then placed my hands on the book ¡°Interesting pure white as expected of an Angel. Everyone''s ring glows a different color based on a few factors. This is the first white I have seen, anyway repeat after me.¡± His next words were no longer in common but what I determined to be an ancient Karthian from my gift. Karthians were a race that were very similar to both humans and demons. In fact a human demon half-breed looked similar to what they looked like based on statues and records found about them. There extinction was very sudden thousands of years ago, historians believe it was some sort of calamity. Karthians were super strong and possessed abilities like foresight, and telepathy, and telekinesis. Several Karthian have even ascended to demigod status. Grena was one such a Karthian, ¡°I do now enter the covenant of the order of assassins under my own free will. I will abide by its laws and bylaws as well keep its secrets. I accept the blessing of Moezalus the god of death and retribution. Please watch over me as I seek out revenge and justice for me and my contractors.¡± I repeated every line and I could feel power enter me as I finished the last phrase my ring got brighter and brighter during the ceremony and people had to shield their eyes from it. Finally my ring faded at the end. I noticed a blue screen telling me I have gained a new blessing
Blessing of Moezalus -increased dark affinity -small boost to agility, endurance, and precision -moderate bonus damage against hated or contracted targets
¡°Moezalus is a Karthian God no? I picked his name out of all that mumble jumbo and it sounded familiar?¡± my gift confirmed as much but the details of him were quite vague. ¡°You are familiar with them? The Karthians?¡± Odyne seemed decently intrigued by this. I pulled out my mask of Grena. ¡°Yes after getting this mask I became quite enamored by Grena and researched her thoroughly. I believe she was a priestess of Moezalus before she ascended or so the legend says.¡± ¡°You are sure knowledgeable, I have several books I could lend you. Researching them is sort of a hobby mine.¡± He is sure trying to get on my good side even though I am truly curious about what is in his books I cant out of spite. ¡°Thanks for the offer but I still have a huge pile of books I need to read still at home. My gold?¡± I try my best to hide my actual intrigue. ¡°Well my offer still stands if you ever run out of books. Here is your gold. By the way you are starting at rank A based on the fact you are the widow''s apprentice and already completed an A rated mission in one night.¡± He handed me a large sack filled which gold I didn''t bother counting. It is funny how it took me 2 years to attain rank B in the adventures guild yet I was already rank A here after one mission. ¡°Thank you, now if you will excuse us.¡± We left to the lobby and I went for the door to leave. ¡°Are you not going to take a contract out? I mean we are here might as well.¡± She was picking out one too. I took one out on a guard who raped a merchants daughter it was a C rank mission for 50 gold practically a cakewalk, I had things I needed to do so I couldn''t fully dedicate myself to a hard contract at the moment. After returning to home I continued my daily schedule on the simulator. Soon before I know it, dinner time has come. A quick bath followed by dressing up in what ever evening outfit the maid has prepared for me to wear I head to the table. Sweet they are making curry. It was a dish I had taught the servants how to make, and everyone fell in love with it. I bet there are a lot of dishes from my old world I could popularize here, but right now I have more pressing matters. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Mistress, could ask a small favor?¡± I figure this is a good time to ask if I can go and watch the tournament coming up just to get a glimpse of my brothers before they go back home. ¡°Sure you can watch the tournament in a few days to see your brothers. I will excuse you from your duties that day¡± Its creepy how she knew exactly what I wanted to ask her. ¡°Did I tell you, that you are the best master ever?¡± She really was. Approaching her had been a gamble but it sure paid off. We finished dinner and ended up sparring tonight for my training. Sparring had become a very frequent evening training activity. We ended a little early tonight so we could go and get some more intel on our targets. There is a decent chance I could even take out my target tonight since he was just a regular guard not even a high ranking one. I put on my black outfit and headed out. The intel that the guild gave me was very useful it was a schedule of when he patrolled as well as his favorite places to spend his small stipend from the guards. He likes to drink, watch strippers, and when he gets enough coin visit the brothel. A typical male degenerate, I hate it how people like this give guys a bad reputation. It looks like he went with drinking tonight. I can see him with his with guard buddies drinking at a saloon in the slums. He is overweight and ugly I bet he has to pay a lot at the brothels. I think I am just going to take him out tonight. The thought that he could be walking around the city disturbs me. I wait patiently for several hours finally he leaves the bar by himself. He is in a drunken stupor stumbling his way towards the barracks. I will have a little fun with this. I straighten up my hood and ready my daggers up my sleeves, as I approach him. I purposely bump into him to make him fall down in the street. I laugh at him and walk into a abandoned backstreet. ¡°Heyyyy girrrl! You apologize right now.¡± I heard him say this as I walked away. He sluggishly got back on his feet and headed down the back street to approach me. I just stood there in the plain sight laughing at him and pointing at him, this was upsetting to him. He came charging at me, which I avoided with a simple side step tripping him as he went by. He was so drunk that I didn''t even have to try. After getting up he grunted and lunged at me again, this time I cut his belt off for embarrassment. ¡°Oye imma teach you a lesson little lady! I am going to have a fun time breaking you in!¡± He was obviously beside himself. ¡°What with that little thing? You have to be kidding me. The only way you can lay with a woman is to pay her or rape her. You are disgusting.¡± After this taunt he totally lost it and frantically tried to grapple me as I simply dodged everything effortlessly. After a few minutes of dancing around from his futile attempts he collapsed from exhaustion as his stamina was near 0. ¡°Already spent after only a couple minutes? Pathetic and you are suppose to be a guard? Being a pathetic guard is not why I am here though. You see the real reason I am here...........is to kill you.¡± I said it very not nonchalantly. ¡°That''s funny you kill me? You are just a young girl. Hahaha¡± As he was laughing I slipped on the outfit I wore at the ball the one that was on all the posters and pulled out my daggers from my sleeves. He continued laughing and then he turned to me to say something and the laughing ended abruptly. ¡°That outfit I have seen it somewhere........ on a wanted poster..........you are the Angel of Death?!¡± His face had turned pale instantly when he realized who I was. The despair on his face was priceless. ¡°Please don''t kill me! I promise I wont say anything to anyone!¡± He was now begging pathetically. Why I was wasting time conversing with this waste of space I have no idea. I suppose for some entertainment? ¡°I am here dispense justice for you have stolen a young woman''s virtue disgustingly.¡± I say very ominously. ¡°Oh her? That whore was asking ......¡± before he could finish his line I had stabbed him in both knee caps. He screeched out in pain. ¡°I am sorry I was drunk. Everything was hazy! Please forgive me!¡± he was now groaning in pain. ¡°Oh my job isn''t to grant forgiveness, that''s a priest''s job or maybe god''s job. My job is just the wet work¡± I walk up to him and use my dagger to carve into his chest the word rapist in big letters. The whole time he is pleading to me and groaning in weak voice to stop and also calling out for help but that''s all he can do since he has no stamina left and he is bleeding constantly so he cant regenerate it quickly. I then start slicing off each of his digits one by one counting down from 21 out loud. I think he finally realizes what digit represents 21 because his face is absolutely terrified as I am now in the single digits. and his pleading now has become a torrent of pleas. When I got 6 my fun is interrupted as a bunch of guards have stumbled upon my little back street horror show. Looks like I have to cut my fun short, quite literally. I cast an earth wall spell to block off the guards access to where we are at. I slash his throat severing trachea jugular and cartoid in one slash. I take a rose out of the ring and tucked it into his shirt. The rose will be my signature or calling card for my hits. Immediately I leave before they can finish breaking through the wall. I return home and it is very late so I need to get to sleep soon. Disappointingly Jennifer wasn''t in my bed for some snuggling. I lay down and quickly fall asleep. All I see is white. There is no sound. Then a voice calls out to me a beautiful feminine voice. ¡°Vindicator of sin. I have observed you. You whom has assumed my visage. I must praise you for your deeds¡± The white is dissipating and as things come back into focus I see a burning city around me and looking directly at me is a pale woman dressed in crimson armor with small horns on her head. Grena. ¡°Look about you carefully, this is your future. Foresight was a gift to some of my clan including thyself. Our seers are sparsely false.¡± I want to talk back to her but all I can do is follow her directions and look around. I notice quickly that this city is in fact Zyrus. Dead bodies are littered everywhere indiscriminate to race gender or age. Horrible. I notice a familiar shop ablaze, it is Zyra''s. I go inside and see her lifeless body sprawled out on the floor with her blood splattered over the shop. People are inside looting what ever they can find. I leave the shop and head towards where Sara''s shop. Her shop had suffered a similar fate but she was still barely alive breathing heavily. Her face was beaten bad and her lower body had its clothes stripped from her. I cant take this nightmare anymore I try to slap myself but it is as if I am a ghost and I slap through air. I next check on Siena but when I go to her place it is empty as if someone had emptied it out to rent. I know Siena would not have moved so I guess that means in this future she is likely dead when these events unfold. Now I know I am a ghost here I can travel through town quickly just running in a straight direction. Jennifer''s shop is literally a pile burning rubble. It must have been one of the first places to be attacked. When I get to the mansion it appears that the gate had been broken I can see many bodies scattered amongst the gardens. I can see Jennifer crying over a body close to the door its Alex. She keeps saying if she had only gotten here sooner. I notice another figure slightly taller then myself coming out of the house. She is wearing my black outfit. It is future me. In a very rueful voice I heard myself say. ¡°They are all dead inside we got here too late to save the maids. I ended the lives of the pillagers very painfully.¡± This nightmare has to end! Please Grena I understand tell me what I need to do. As soon as I thought this the vision faded back to white except I could now see Grena. ¡°Young human this is this fate is not inevitable but to prevent it requires great risk. There is a chance you could perish if you follow my advice.¡± She was making sure I knew what I had signed up for. Anything I thought I would do anything to prevent this tragedy. ¡°There is an unseen force here at hand whom feeds off greed and suffering. He is a champion of a rival demigod in this realm. He has taken sanctuary in the lost city free to send out his phantoms to corrupt people into giving into there greed causing suffering to those around them. This city is just the first he plans to corrupt.¡± It all makes sense now. The corruption of the upper class, this revolt, it is all designed to feed this demigod. So what can I do? ¡°I have been trying to communicate to you for a while but now that we both are under Moezalus''s protection I can finally do so. The path that you must take is to follow the free spirit close to you. She will lead you to the lost city and then you can help dispatch this champion it is not to late. Please be careful you have important deeds in your future you still need to accomplish.¡± I woke up completely drenched in sweet. Those last words were too cryptic, I need to follow a free spirit but what is that? Lost city I can only think of one but swimming to the underwater entrance is impossible. I am so confused! At breakfast Jennifer kind of knew something was wrong. I just told her that I was trying to make sense of this nightmare I had. I didn''t explain everything just that I would let her know when I figured it out. I should be excited to see my brothers at the tournament tomorrow but I cant help but think about what Grena told me. Today I was having lunch with Zyra and Siena, there lives are in my hand. I smile as I greet them its been a few weeks since I saw Siena since she was on an escort mission by Lake Malia. We all sat down and ordered and started to talk. ¡°So Zyra said you had something to discuss with me?¡± I ask her. ¡°So Lara you don''t have to give me your answer for a few days, and I know you haven''t done any adventures in awhile so you will probably decline. However I feel it is my duty to offer a chance to go on mysterious adventure with me and a bunch of guild members.¡± She continued ¡°On my last escort mission I fell through a sink hole in the ground and uncovered a forgotten tomb. Inside I found a journal in ancient Karthian depicting a secret entrance to the city Atlus. One scribe in the guild thinks its the lost city! Since I found the book I can get you in the party even if you are only B rank.¡± DA-thump........... well I guess I know why Siena wasnt in that dream and who the free spirit is. ¡°I''ll go!¡± I say with absolute determination. Chapter 16 The Summit tournament Chapter 16 The Summit Tournament What a crazy few days I have had. First I have become part of the assassins'' guild after killing a duke. I ran into my brother at a masquerade ball. Finally I had a demi-god talk to me in my sleep, telling me to stop a champion of a rival demi-god. The key to stopping this from happening is to accompany my friend Siena as she has found a secret passage into the lost city, a place where the source of the coming calamity is hiding. I told my whole story to Jennifer. I know I can trust her, and she knows I am not one to make this kind of stuff up. ¡°Interesting a demigod spoke to you in a dream, I guess my little Lara is kind of a big deal. So your friend found a secret entrance to the lost city?¡± She seems to be taking this in well. ¡°Yeah it''s crazy how fate works, right now they are just speculating about it being the lost city. We are gathering a raid group all A ranks and up.¡± I explained. ¡°Then how did you get in? I thought you were only B rank.¡± She countered. ¡°I guess it was one of the conditions of Siena sharing the information with the guild. Ranking up in that stupid guild took way too long, anyways I am sure the guild master had no quarrel with it. I was the one who beat the beast-king score on their simulator.¡± ¡° But you have yet to beat any of my scores on my simulator.¡± She rubbed it in. ¡°I tied one of them!¡± I very proudly claimed. ¡°I really wish I could come with you, it sounds incredibly dangerous. However I cant register with them for obvious reasons and following you would be suspicious¡± The reason is because the adventurer guild card includes race and unlike me she couldn''t hide her race. ¡°Your strength would be really helpful, but I a think we are getting around 20 adventurer''s. Some of them are even S rank. If things get bad I will escape with Siena, and we will make preparations to leave the city.¡± I will protect my own friends before I protect anyone else. ¡°So tomorrow you wanted the day off to go to the summit tournament? You think you are going to compete in it?¡± Jennifer asked. ¡°I wasn''t planning on it, all I want to do is see my brothers and some good matches¡± The thought of competing hadn''t really occurred. I would fine just spectating. We continued our schedule and before I knew it, it was tomorrow. I got up early because I wanted a good seat. I dressed up in one of my elven tunics and wore the earrings that gave the elf ear illusion as well as the hairpin for silver hair. As soon I was ready I grabbed a sweet roll and departed. The arena here was not as big as the coliseum in Toulia but still could fit quite a few spectators. I noticed there were two lines a long one for people watching and a short one for fighters who were registering. Of course high ranking military officials as well as nobility could skip past the line, and head for their reserved booths. I was just enjoying the atmosphere it seems this event is highly anticipated, it reminded me of some of my kendo tournaments I used to attend. I finally was close to the front of the line. I was enjoying a conversation with what looked like a middle class family who asked me questions about elves since their daughter was quite interested in them. I tried my best to give a genuine elf''s point of view. Then she asked a question not related to elves but gender. ¡°So can a girl become a great fighter who can win this tournament? I want to be a fighter when I grow up.¡± The girl seemed really curious. Her parents didn''t seem super enthused about her wanting to fight but obviously would let her choose her own path. ¡°Oh course! Why would you think that they couldn''t?¡± I asked. ¡°Well that man earlier said that women are only good at raising kids and working in the house. He and some other guy with a bunch of guards were having a fight earlier about it.¡± She pointed at a guy with a Rendil officer uniform. The man had good ears and noticed we were talking about him and he walked over to us. I used analyze on him.
Status Window
Name:Hyde MackinTitle:General Rendil 3rd BattalionRace:HumanGender:Male
Class:WarriorSubclass:FighterAge:27Level:67
Titles
Ironhide Hyde
Resources
Health:3200/3200Mana:750/7250Stamina:3410/3410
Stats
Strength:294Intelligence:110Agility:225Charisma:240
Wisdom:80Precision/aim:60Vitality:224Luck:50
¡°Sir you dont think that a woman can be a good fighter?¡± I asked him as he got close. ¡°Yea that''s what I said and I stand by it miss long ears. Got in an argument with a hotheaded prince earlier who had female guard. I told him that women belong in the house not on the battlefield, and he took exception to that¡± He said very arrogantly. ¡°Well I know that a woman can be just as strong as man in a fight.¡± I counter. ¡°Hahahahahaha that''s a good one I would never be beat by a woman in a fight. Its simple fact that woman are weak. Some can be decent mages but that is the extent of there abilities.¡± So if I didn''t already despise him for being from Rendil I now fully hate him with all my being. I really wanted to stab this guy in the throat right now but I resisted. This guy sure fits the Darius underling role perfectly. I think I am going to have to keep this little girl dreams of being a fighter alive. I smile and look at her. ¡°Hey dont worry I will prove to you to you just how strong a girl can be! Root for me, my name is Lara.¡± I then go the registration desk for the participants that had no line left and pulled out my adventurers'' guild card. ¡°Lara, Adventurer Rank B.¡± -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aaron Pov a few hours earlier I finally am allowed out of the palace here in Zyrus after a couple days of being ''grounded''. Ok a couple days of being grounded might be an fair punishment for what I did. When I got to the Zyrus I befriended one of the noble''s son that was also staying here in the palace. A few days ago he gave me his ticket to a crazy masquerade ball since he wouldn''t be able to attend it. I of course didn''t mention any this to my brother who was watching over me. I figured I would just get a stern talking to, Max can be very forgiving to his own siblings. So this is the story of how I got in trouble. After slipping out of my room from the balcony. I went to the ball, I had a simple domino mask that my friend had given me. The ball was extremely fun, there was music, food, and dancing. I had several conversations with people who I had met and then I encountered HER. There was a girl I would guess around my age based on height perhaps younger, dressed in an elegant white dress with angel wings on it. Her hair was a beautiful golden blonde that covered half of her face. I had only seen that particular shade of blonde on one other person. My dead sister Kara. I had to meet this girl! If only to admire her hair up close, I very much loved my sister and her hair reminded me of her. When I asked her to dance she seemed to freeze up. Surely a cute girl like this should be used to be asked to dance. After a few seconds she agreed her voice was very soothing and beautiful. When we danced it was incredible, it was like I was in a trance and everything was going in slow motion for me to follow her lead. This is like a bard effect perhaps she like my sister is also a bard? Or perhaps she is my sister? There is a lot mysteries in her disappearance. I cant get my hopes up too much though. After dancing the music had stopped for an intermission. We went out to a balcony and had a conversation about her hair and how it reminded me of my sister. She went to leave and I asked her name. She very seriously told me that would defeat the purpose of this party. She also mention for security reasons it was not a good thing as I could be a prince and she could be an assassin. Well she was dead on because I really am a prince and she really was an assassin but she was not there for me. After trying to find her I spotted her on stage and she started to sing a beautiful sonata. After hearing her voice I felt nostalgia of Mandy''s wedding reception. Could this really be my sister!? I fought my way up the crowd whom all were enamored by her voice. I will rip off her mask to find out, if I am wrong I will apologize to her latter. I couldn''t make any more progress towards her the crowd was too big. She finished her song she started to sing an odd tune I had never heard before. It was about a corrupt duke, and at the end of it something happened I will never forget. She flung to daggers into one of the party member who wore a fox mask. It turned out that he was the duke she was singing about! She somehow escaped like a monkey able to scale up curtains and swing from chandlers. After she had left I was approached by several guards because people had told them I had danced and talked to the girl and were hoping to get some leads from me. When they realized who I was, I ended up in trouble with my brother for dancing with an assassin at a ball. Well today is the last day we spend here in Zyrus. I really want to see that girl again, even though she is incredibly dangerous. I needed to know if my own sister is the Angel of Death, and if so who is manipulating her. We are heading to the summit martial tournament which concludes the military summit. When we got her there was ran into some prick Rendil bastard, the country all my family hates. ¡°Hey Prince is that woman there your whore¡± he pointed at Felicia who was Max''s right hand in the army. ¡°Felicia is an officer in the Termain army, rank Brigadier. Termain is not some closed minded country, and several women are in prominent positions in the army. You sure have nerve talking to us after what your king did my to my little sister a few years ago.¡± Max wasn''t even this pissed when found out about the ball. ¡°Hey there is no evidence of that ever happening. Anyways its not like she really mattered she wouldn''t have gotten any power unless she married into it. Other then that she was just a pretty voice and a future baby maker.¡± The Rendil bastard had crossed the line and Max had to be restrained by his own people from attacking him. ¡°You dare insult my family? I will kill you for that! Let go of me!¡± ¡°Hey prince why dont you fight me in the tournament? I got to win this one for King Darius since he could not attend this summit unfortunately. Beating you would add to my victory when I return to Tyra. Unless you are too afraid.¡± He doesn''t realize how strong Max really is. He probably thought because he is a young prince he is weak. In reality Max is by far the strongest fighter in the whole army and 2nd place is a big gap. After leaving the Rendil jerk Max headed to the registration line. ¡°Prince Maximilian where are you going the booths are this way.¡± Felicia asked Max while he headed to the registration desk. ¡°I am registering, and before you say it, yes I know this could be deadly and no I wont reconsider.¡± He answered the questions before they were even asked. ¡°Maximilian Rosewood, Supreme General of the Termain army.¡± --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kara POV I guess that was pretty impulsive of me. Its not like I didn''t entertain the thought of competing from the start. There was just two risks in doings so. The main risk was death, if someone dies instantly in a match there was no way to bring them back. This usually can be avoided by avoiding head attacks. The second risk is exposure, if somehow my headband or earring are damaged or fall off my identity as Lara could be in jeopardy. But that Rendil bastard had crossed a line. How dare he try to dash that little girls dreams! The irony is I was only 2 years older then that girl well physically anyways. I was in the waiting area for participants making sure all my stuff is in order I had swapped out my elven outfit for some leather armor. Finally a guy walked in who looked to be in charge. ¡°Welcome warriors to the Summit tournament! There a several rules that if are not followed can lead to disqualification. First the only magic that is allowed is body strengthening magic and weapon arts. Anything else will get you disqualified. Second deliberate lethal strikes with weapons to the head are illegal. Kicks and punches to the head are legal though. Other then that no consumables are allowed during a match and no poisons are allowed to be applied before. The judge observing the match has the right to end it at any time for any violation or if he feels a fighter is incapacitated or unable to protect them self. Good luck!¡± After that a giant scroll was unraveled that had a bracket of the tournament. I waited a few minutes for the crowd in front the of the bracket to disperse. I looked to where I would meet up with Hyde. Semifinals if we both make it through the quarterfinals. I kept glancing at the bracket and I noticed on the other side was a familiar name. Maximilian Rosewood, I wonder why he is fighting it doesn''t seem like something he would do normally. After a few matches its finally my turn for my first match. As I walk up to staging area on my side I get quite a few glances from the other participants I also hear several out right laughs, I guess they just now realized that I am one of the competitors. They probably see my height and instantly discredit me. You guys should know that 5''1¡± is incredibly tall for a 8 year old girl cut me some slack! My first match is against one of the commanders from Valsey. He is a spear user level 55 this shouldn''t be too hard. I go with dual swords for this one. ¡°Hey elf girl if you turn around now no one will blame you¡± He didn''t see to be very condescending about it. ¡°I will be fine please go all out otherwise you may get hurt.¡± I can hear lots of murmurs I suppose my small size has people wondering why I am out here. Then I hear a sweet voice say ''Do your best Lara!''. I recognize the voice its from the little girl from earlier. Guess I got my first fan! As soon as the bell rung I shot off like a rocket towards my opponent. As a spear user I suspected he would strike right at me as I approached him. I was able to gauge how long his spear was so I knew approximately when the strike would a land. I timed a front somersault on his lunge so I was able to slide underneath. As my feet came back under I jump with all my strength, swinging my blades across gaps in his armor in his armpit and when I reach him I use a solid knee to the stomach. The attack is extremely effective as he staggered now, I take the opportunity to roundhouse kick his hands making him drop his weapon. He tries to grab me but I do back flip kicking him in the helmet. I now release a torrent of swings at him giving him no opportunity to do anything but defend, he has no weapon so he is just blocking with his arm-guards. The official ends the fight before it got too ugly. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. I return the prep area for the participants. You can easily see matches from here and people saw my one sided beat down of my first match are not sure what to make of me. I had just embarrassed one of the stronger participants, and no one here has heard of me who was just a B rank adventurer. I pull out a book I was reading and relaxed. Finally someone got the nerve to approach me. ¡°Interesting fighting style, dual sabers? However that is no eleven style that I have ever seen.¡± I knew who it was from the voice. I guess I will have to see how strong big brother has gotten.
Status Window
Name:Maximilian RosewoodTitle:PrinceRace:HumanGender:Male
Class:Arane FencerSubclass:CommanderAge:26Level:76
Titles
The lightning blade prince
Resources
Health:3400/3400Mana:2750/2750Stamina:3640/3640
Stats
Strength:274Intelligence:210Agility:332Charisma:280
Wisdom:140Precision/aim:80Vitality:244Luck:70
¡°His highness Prince Maximilian blesses me with his presence? If you must know it is my own style, traditional dual wielders use one weapon for offense and one for defense. I use both for non stop offense.¡± I say to him with a big smile its good to know brother has shared my sentiment to get strong. ¡°Max is fine, you know you feel familiar to me I think it is your face.¡± Before he can continue his thoughts he called to fight. The matches continue my next three opponents are sort of a joke not even as strong as my first opponent and I defeat them very quickly. Compared to Jennifer these guys are simply ants, which is disappointing because I enjoy a good battle. Max and Hyde are tearing up the competition too. Max keeps coming to talk to me in between matches and I have gotten a lot of information. The country was doing good however Jabel has been having issues with both Rendil and Valsey since they wanted them to abolish slavery. He himself has yet to marry, when I probe him about love interests I am able to deduce he has someone he fancies close to him perhaps a subordinate. Finally it is time to fight Hyde. Hyde uses a really heavy set of iron plate it is how he got his nickname iron-hide, and his weapon is a 2 handed claymore. His armor is going to be tricky to attack, who ever designed it did a good job I can see very few weak points to attack. ¡°This tournament must really be slipping in quality if a pointy ears bitch made it here to the semifinals. You elves need to know your place, from what I hear you are a half-blood. How does it feel to be an outcast from your own people?¡± He was trying he best to agitate me but it was not needed I had all the fuel for the fire I needed to fight him. The bell rung and I sprang towards Hyde. As he swings his giant sword I weave around his strikes and I start to assault him. However my swords are simply just glancing off his armor harmlessly. This is the disadvantage of bladed weapons, while they are extremely effective against light armor against heavy armor like this they lose that effectiveness. I need to use thrust attacks and blunt strikes. Fortunately I always carry two blunt weapons on me at all times they are right foot and left foot. My new strategy of kicks and thrust attacks is working and I can tell that I have done some damage to him. However he is more crafty then I would like to admit and has sold me on a few feints scoring some light wounds and damaging my armor. The damage we both have taken is fairly even, even though I have landed many fold more blows then him. ¡°You should just give up none of your strikes are doing any damage¡± He is trying to bluff me but since I can see his status at all times I know better. I need continue my attacks and find an opening. After a few more minutes I got a huge break. After dodging his swing he slightly lost his balance, I will chalk it up to slight fatigue. Anyways I landed my strongest kick yet and it landed on the bottom of his helmet jarring it up. This blocked his vision temporarily and left his neck open. Now normally I would have decapitated him right here, but since that is illegal I decide to slide behind him and go for a sleeper hold. I sunk my elbow deep into his neck and then grabbed on to my own elbow. I pressed forward onto his nape with my own head to finish the hold. It was incredible tight, and he would have a hard time escaping this. His heavy armor hindered his movement and peeling me off is impossible, so he tried to dislodge me by slamming his back into a wall. I however read this move ahead of time and kicked my own legs back and pushed off the wall tripping us forward and on to the ground. I coiled my legs around his abdomen for more leverage and just kept the hold tight. Finally after a little bit he passed out from lack of oxygen. Literally the whole crowd was silent. I guess seeing a 100 pound girl choke out a full grown man can have that effect. I would have a small break before the finals and I would need to recover some stamina. Max had already won his match so it would be me versus my brother in the finals. I cant help but get excited, ever since I was born I have wanted to fight him because I knew he was strong. Max is an expert swordsman and his fighting style is that of a fencer. His attacks are fast and strong and he carries a parry dagger in his offhand. Everyone he has fought has been thoroughly destroyed in this tournament in the matter of seconds. I should just withdraw, I have accomplished what I wanted to do. Which was beat down that big jerk from earlier. Yet I cant help but anticipate a fight like this! The battle maniac in me would never allow me to withdraw from such a bout. I go and change out of my armor that has been ruined in the last fight. I decide to wear an outfit that I had crafted for my self during my time while working in Jennifer''s shop during down time. It is a simple kimono that had designed for comfort. ¡°You have stole my revenge. I wanted to be the one to embarrassed that guy. I suppose getting beat by a girl is justice though since he seems to not understand that appearance often has little to do with how strong someone is.¡± Max was making some chit chat while we waited for the last match. ¡°Yeah he was the reason I entered this tournament. His pompous attitude was quite toxic and was effecting children. I had to set him straight. While I have accomplished my goal I cant help but anticipate our fight. What happens when a lightning clashes with a raging torrent?¡± I cant wait for this bout. ¡°I would be lying if I said I wasn''t excited as well. Too often I am swamped with duties for the military and I have no sparring opponents close to my level.¡± Max and I were ready to go. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Aaron Pov This tournament has been so awesome. I got to see big brother tear people up, I knew he was very strong and now so does everyone else. He made it all the way to the finals. His opponent is sort of someone no one had anticipated. It is a little elven girl who fights with dual sabers. She is apparently an adventurer but her rank is only B, obviously she is a lot stronger then rank B. She just beat the man who had taunted Max into entering the tournament. The girls movements were familiar somehow. The way she moved was not of a lady but of a warrior with no wasted movements. She reminds me of that girl I met at the ball, but this girl had different colored hair and was elven. Both fighters entered the ring for the last fight and after a few moments the gong rung. I expected an instant clash like I had seen them both do today but instead was both of them slowly started to circle one another. They continued this for a whole minute slowly getting closer with each revolution. Finally once they were in Max''s reach with his estoc things changed. Lara feinted a step forward, prompting the first exchange of swords. They started rapidly striking and parrying each other sort of testing out each others guard for openings and weaknesses to expose. Damn this Lara is good she is even forcing Max to use his parry dagger that has seldom needed to use. The pace has picked up dramatically and I can no longer follow exchanges visually. It looks like Max is winning slightly but it is hard to tell for sure. Both of them have the biggest smiles on their faces, their inner battle maniac is showing through. To be honest this is the first time I saw Max smile since Kara disappeared. It has been several minutes now and you would think the clashing of steel would have slowed down but it is quite the opposite things have only sped up. It is almost like a race with each other trying to be faster then the other. A few things I have noticed is Max''s footwork is extremely impressive, he always seems to be the right place to counter or protect himself. As for Lara her movement is impressive too but its not limited to her feet. Her weapon swings, her feints, her counters they are almost like a dance so fluid. Her legs are super dangerous a simple kick from her could do serious damage or open up things for her blades. It has now been over an hour and both fighter seem like they could go for hours more, they both must have high stamina and recovery. The fight has been everything you could have hoped for and more it has been extremely even. At first it looked like Max was at an advantage but somehow in the matter of the hour she has evolved her technique to better counter Max and she has gotten several strikes in on him. Finally after hundreds of feints and fake feints, Lara finally got Max to break guard for a split second. She swung down at an opening close to his shoulder, however right before she connected something crazy happened Max disappeared and reappeared directly behind her with his sword pointed at her back. ¡°Space-time magic detected from Maximilian, and is disqualified. Lara is the winner¡± The referee ended the match. After the match I met up with Max who seemed in an excellent mood. ¡°She was pretty good huh. She made you use your trump card its too bad its illegal¡± I say to him. ¡°That girl is super special. I dont think I have had that much fun in a long time. It was all worth it entering this tournament just for that. Aaron could you do me a favor and take my sword to the blacksmith we have been using here? I dulled it pretty good in that fight and I want it sharp for the several week trip back to Lorrington.¡± He handed me his estoc and parry dagger. I went escorted of course to the blacksmith. While walking I admired his blade. Then I noticed a hair that had been snagged into the blade. I looked close at the hair and noticed it didn''t match the girls silver hair. Then I noticed the color was the same golden blonde of the angel of death! Was her appearance an illusion? If the hair was a different color are the ears not legit too? Is Lara actually the angel of death? Is the angel of death my sister? I need to talk to Mandy about this she is the only one who I can turn to with stuff like this. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kara POV Well that was a blast! It so nice to fight an opponent with similar ability. After I won I started to head out when a young boy and several guards came to greet me. Shit am I in trouble? ¡°Misses Lara would you come with me I am prince Ryalith?¡± The young boy said shyly. I looked at him and he actually is a prince here in Calipis his dad must be the emperor he is the same age as me 8 even though I am like 3 inches taller then him. ¡°Ugh what for?¡± I was really scared that somehow I had been outed. ¡°To collect your prize of course silly.¡± He then lead me towards the palace I totally forgot about the prize. I guess its a nice bonus for my time. Once we were in the palace we entered a separate room with a vault and royal armory. There was an old man there who looked like he was in charge. ¡°This small girl won the summit tournament?! You are joking right?¡± The old man was shocked. ¡°Yes and she beat the Lightning prince to win! It was the most epic fight ever.¡± I suppose it would have been a really good fight to watch. ¡°Well as you know the reward is you get to pick one thing here from the royal armory. This is the greatest collection of weapons that I know of I am sure you can find something you like. I walked in with the old man and the prince and I could feel a magical barrier and noticed my ears and hair were back to normal. ¡°Miss Lara is human?!¡± The prince couldn''t believe it. ¡°Ah yea I am sorry it is the only way they would let me do adventurer''s since I am only 8 years old. Can you keep it a secret for me I would really appreciate it.¡± Shit I really fucked up. ¡°Only 8?! Sure I am just surprised you are the same age as me and so strong. I promise I will keep your secret.¡± His face was flush red. I then looked at the old man. ¡°My lips are sealed too in fact I am glad you are human. It makes giving away one these weapons a lot easier¡± Looks like I dodged a bullet here. If I were to get kicked out the adventurer''s guild I wouldn''t be able to help Siena in Atlus. I looked around the private armory and it was true they had an exceptional collection. There was every sort of weapon you could imagine and they all were top tier quality. I was really interested in a enchanted long sword that looked really strong and then I saw an a familiar sight. A daisho set of a katana and wakizashi on a stand. The katana was long well over a meter long. After using analyze I found they were made of adamantium! I picked up the blades and marveled at the craftsmanship, this has to be a dwarfs work there is no question. This has to be fate! ¡°Well you have quite the eye young misses. That is the sword set of the former hero Hiroshi. He used these swords up to the point to where he fought the demon king that is when he used Excalibur. He called the long blade Tachi and the short one Tanken. Perhaps the blade is too long fo.....¡± Before he could finish his sentence I had bisected wooden training dummy with one swing of Tachi. The speed of a Japanese katana is unrivaled. I finally had the set of swords I had spent years mastering. ¡°I will take them¡± My smile was so big it actually hurt my cheek muscles. Chapter 17 The Traditional Way to Seal a Pact Chapter 17 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Been sort of busy and I went ahead and rewrote this chapter. I planned on holding some of this plot for latter down the road but it made more sense to put some of it here. Enjoy :) ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Traditional Way to Seal a Pact Its been several weeks since I won the summit tournament. I have carried out a few marks for the assassin''s guild, and have been getting ready for this adventure into the lost city. Recently I have reached a breakthrough in my alchemy, I now can craft high potions but the ingredients are sort of hard to get, so I can only make several for now. Both Siena and Zyra were very cross with me. Apparently it is a cardinal sin to participate in a big tournament and not let them know ahead of time so they can watch it. Who would have known? Anyways winning the tournament may have been a mistake because now Lara is sort of a celebrity in the city especially among the elf population. Siena in a weird way has sort of become my agent and has received many love letters for me. Everyone wants to meet the battle maiden of the summit tournament. That prince guy is one of my biggest fans and has tried inviting me over for tea at the palace several times. At least he is being polite about it, he could very well blackmail me. Once this raid is over I wont care if I get kicked out of the adventurer''s guild. Anyways today is the day we depart from Zyrus as a raid group we are having a meeting here in the guild building before we leave. Jennifer gave me an escape scroll in case things got bad, it is like the switching doll I had but the place I got teleported was set to be in the mansions basement the range was extremely far. I assume this is worth over 1000 gold. She only had one though so I would not be able to bring anyone else with me. I had to promise her a million times to come back alive. Siena and I decided to meet up at Zyra''s this morning before going to the guild building. ¡°I feel like a mother sending my children off¡± Zyra said as we enjoyed a breakfast she prepared. ¡°Oh yea Lara that armor you wanted, Sara dropped it off. She wanted to stay and see you wear it but she had to open her shop.¡± After the tournament I realized I needed decent leather armor my old stuff was too small and too damaged. Thankfully being a assassin pays good money so I had Sara measure me and had her get her contacts in the craftsman guild make me the best set of leather armor money could buy I gave her 50 gold and told her to let me know if she needed more. Let me see what this armor looks like. I pick up the armor and looked at it. The armor is basically a body suit of black skin tight leather with metal reinforcing vital points very stylishly. The boots and gloves are also made of leather and match perfectly. I cant get over how revealing this whole outfit is. Its skin tight nature is going to leave nothing to the imagination! The damn lolicons are going to love this. DAMN IT! ¡°Ehhhhhhhhh this is so LEWD!¡± I exclaimed when I saw the armor, Siena and Zyra were laughing their butts off at me. ¡°I cant wear this.......¡± I have worn girls clothes for years now but always something cute and respectable this however was crossing the line! No matter how I loot at this armor, it is a glorified catsuit. ¡°Lara come on you haven''t event tried it on. Now hurry up and put it on! I will zip you up.¡± Siena wasn''t going to let me just wear something else. After some skillful coaxing Siena finally got me to wear the dreaded getup. After zipping up the back I started to move around in it. Functionally this thing is actually amazing it is light and flexible. The enchant boosts my agility and endurance and the material is very good. It is made from wyvern hide and the metal is mithril both materials are extremely light for how durable they are. I looked at my two elf friends and they both have a huge smiles on their faces and were still chuckling. ¡°You two are really enjoying this aren''t you? I must look ridiculous in this thing.¡± ¡°I think it really suits you. You look really cute in it.¡± Zyra said. ¡°Cute? That''s not how I would describe it. I would describe it as shameless. ¡± This is so embarrassing. ¡°Well you are going to wear that because its way better then any alternative. You don''t look bad in it either we just cant help but smile when we see your face full of so much embarrassment.¡± Siena had a point. This was really good armor and would do a way better job protecting me then anything else I could throw together. I will just have to throw on a long cloak over this to cover myself from wandering eyes of the lolicons around. We said our goodbyes and left to the guild building. The guild building was eerily quiet. Inside the guild building there is a sort of conference room. We were going to meet up here for a briefing, and set up our groups. As we entered the room there were close to 20 set of eyes on us. I could hear several people start to talk about us, well me mainly. Everyone here is a pro adventurer a lot of the people here are famous and from all around Solus not just from Zyrus. Siena and I found a pair of empty seats, and one of the attendant came and asked us what we wanted to drink. After another 15 minutes the guild master finally came in. ¡°Welcome! You guys have all been invited to an exclusive mission in the guild. One of our members on a recent mission had uncovered an ancient book detailing an unknown entrance to the city Atlus. After confirming its existence with our scouts we have begun to orchestrate a discovery mission. After consulting historians and archaeologists we have become to believe this is the lost city that previously has been unreachable due to the giant serpent guarding it in lake Malia.¡± There was a brief murmur among the adventurers. The guild master continued. ¡°This mission has been commissioned by the our guild, the royal family, the mages guild, and several other patrons. You will be paid 100 gold each. The loot from the mission will be distributed at the end of the mission as a bonus. Our archaeologists reserve the right to take items from the loot and pay for them with adequate compensation. One of them will be accompanying you let me introduce her. This is Diana Jones.¡± A tall woman with a wiry frame stepped forward, she definitely trained. Her features were very soft, and she had brown hair and green eyes. Her outfit was very practical a simple white blouse and her pants were black. She screamed tomboy. ¡°Hello everyone my name is Diana Jones. I am going to be leading this expedition. I am one of the foremost researchers for the Karthians. I will not bring you down in a fight as I am a level 65 exotic weapon''s master. I prefer to use a whip blade.¡± She then bowed and sat back down. The guild master then continued. ¡°Lets as well introduce ourselves to each other it is rude to make Diana do it alone. Starting from my right lets do a brief introduction to one another.¡± ¡°Hi I am Leon I am rank S adventurer. My class is paladin, my shield is at your disposal.¡± ¡°I am April I am a elemental mage. My guild rank is A cheers.¡± ¡°I am the famous Ranger Dax please all don''t ask for my autograph at the same time.¡± ¡°I am Reid I am a rank S adventurer. I am an arch-priest, I am here to keep everyone healthy.¡± ¡°The name is Mason I am a rogue, I excel at disarming traps and opening locks.¡± ¡°I am Lux, I am a Fighter and yes I am part demon so if you don''t like me then just ignore me.¡± ¡°I''m Landon and I am Beastmaster rank A¡± ¡°Hey I am Mabel and my class is Divine Soul I will help Reid with keeping you guys all healthy.¡± ¡°Joel I am a mage specializing in destruction magic.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you all I am Oliver I am an Enchanter I help make you guys all stronger and the bad guys all weaker.¡± ¡°I''m Rictor and I am Warrior rank SS. Don''t get in my way.¡± ¡°Hi I am Grimblee I am here on behalf of the guild as your dedicated blacksmith. I am a demolishinist so I can help blow open new paths if we need it.¡± ¡°This humble servant of Nalhah is called Basu I am what you guys describe as a monk.¡± ¡°Hi guys! I am summoner name is Caladina I specialize in earth summons.¡± ¡°Long-fur is what my tribe calls me. I am a hunter/tracker. I also am a skilled cook.¡± ¡°I''m Melinus my class is scout. I am very good with a bow.¡± ¡°Name is Luke I am a spearman rank S in the guild.¡± ¡°Hello my name is Siena I am Blademaster Rank A¡± ¡°I am Lara my class is fighter. I am excited to meet all of you.¡± I flat out lie about my class. There is no reason to let them know that my actual class is an assassin type class. Heck Siena doesn''t even know that. Quite the Monty crew we have assembled, we have humans, elves, an underage human pretending to be an elf, a half demon, a dwarf, and beast-kin. Our classes are also extremely diversified as well. The biggest issue is going to be dealing with everyone''s different personalities. I can sense people already trying to size up everyone to see who''s the alpha dog. Seems like everyone has there own cliques they hang out with, it kind of reminds me of high school. The guild-master had a few last thing to go over. ¡°Its a two day travel to the location we have 4 wagons. 3 for passengers and 1 for supplies. I am putting Leon, Basu, Dax, Landon, Luke, and Long-fur in the first wagon. The rest of the guys are in the second wagon, and all the women are in the third wagon.¡± ¡°This is bullshit! I have to be with only men for two days?¡± Dax quickly interjected and several other guys agreed with him. ¡°Look the wagons will be traveling together so you will all make camp together. So you will have a few hours to converse with the other wagons. Anyways this is not a vacation this is work........ You should have your head in the mission and not about women. There is not a lot of information on this entrance, this could become a very dangerous mission quickly.¡± The guild-master explained to the narcissistic ranger. ¡°Ok I wish you all luck on your journey, please treat everyone else respect and listen to Diana she is the leader.¡± After filing out of the guild building we all traveled the short walk over to the northern stables. All the wagons were already staged for us ahead of time. ¡°Wouldn''t it be quicker if we all rode our own horses?¡± Being cramped up in a wagon for 2 days is going to suck. ¡°It would be but its safer when we are all together. Not everyone is a combat oriented class and our supplies have to be protected, bandits are extremely bad in this region.¡± Siena had a point but it still didn''t change the situation I was in. We all got in our respective wagons and departed Zyrus. Once we got settled, the only thing we had to do to beat boredom was conversation. ¡°So Siena this is the cute friend you have been telling me about? Lara right?¡± It was April who Siena seemed to be familiar with. ¡°Hi nice to meet you.¡± I really don''t plan to get friendly with anyone here. The only things I care about are stopping this demigod and Siena''s and my own safety. ¡°You are so cute! I cant believe you are an adventurer! You are like totes our mascot. You should stay back so we can protect you.¡± April like many others judge me solely on appearance. ¡°She is easily one of the top 5 in terms of strength in this whole group if anything it is you who should stay in the back.¡± This time it was Lux who chimed in, but how did she know that I was strong? ¡°I would say the strongest people in this group are Rictor, Basu, Luke, Lara, and Calidina in terms of battle potential.¡± Lux seemed very sure of her assessment. ¡°You like named mostly all warriors and fighters surely us mages are among the strongest.¡± April felt slighted. ¡°Look I am just using a ability called combat intuition, I cant see someone''s stats or anything like that. What I can do though is judge how much a threat they would be if I were to fight them. This little girl here is screaming major threat to me. It is hardly surprising she won the Summit tournament¡± Lux explained her reasoning. ¡°The thing that gets me is if she is a fighter why did she not use any weapon arts in the tournament? You fought the entire tournament and didn''t use one of the fighter class skills. Perhaps your class isn''t fighter after all? Just like how your hair color was not really silver¡± This Lux character is dangerous not only does she know my strength she also is savvy enough to realize that my class may not be what I say it is. Shadowblade''s do have a few weapon arts but they would have given away my class and most of them would have violated the tournament rules. ¡°You lost to the lightning blade prince? I think I remember the match you use a chain-sickle? I am actually quite familiar with that weapon I noticed that your weight is too light for a chain of that length. Or is that by design?¡± I now clearly remember this person. She wore a helmet so I could not see her face but I can see her weapon which is very unique. She fought my brother and used a kusarigami which is one of the weapon styles that Ojisan made me learn. This made her smile perhaps she didn''t expect me to remember her or to notice the adjustments she made to her weapon. With a smaller weight the speed of the sickle could be increased but attacks with the weight part of the chain became less effective. It is a common practice which sacrifices utility for lethality. Max defeated her but it was definitely the best match he had besides me. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°What are you miss Lara?¡± She said to herself in demonic. ¡°She is an adventurer miss Lux and so are you so lets get a long.¡± Diana Jones apparently understood demonic as well. Siena now had a weird expression on her face. She spoke to me in elven. ¡°Now that she mentioned it I have never seen you perform a fighter class skill........¡± ¡°Okay we will talk later when we have privacy I don''t know who else here understands elven.¡± My lies and secrets I have kept from one of my best friends has finally caught up with me. I planned to come clean with her on this trip anyways, about my real age, my dream, and my plans to attend magic school and leave Zyrus. She will be mad at first about everything but she will get over it......hopefully. ¡°Miss Jones I have a question for you about the Karthians if you wouldn''t mind.¡± I was changing the previous subject with a question that I wanted to ask miss Jones. ¡°If it is within my power I will answer it¡± She took a serious look at me. ¡°I was wonder how many Karthians had reached demi-god status I know about Grena but I would like to hear about the other ones as well.¡± ¡°Karthian demi-gods? That is easy there is seven.. Grena, Sanite, Restia, Cielia, Xander, Jaso, Maza..¡± Diana was probably the most knowledgeable person about them. I wonder if she has met Odyne? ¡°So these demigod? They are still alive or have influence?¡± I continued my questions. ¡°Oh I am not an expert on dieties or demi-gods.¡± She replied. Then the priest girl came over I remember its Mabel. Her class is divine soul. ¡°I couldn''t help but over hear your conversation. So the little one would like to know about the gods?¡± She seemed extremely excited that here knowledge could be of use. ¡°Uhhhh thanks. Yes could you explain this whole demi-god, lesser god, greater god thing? I was most curious about demi-gods and how they can influence the world centuries after they have ascended.¡± I ask Mabel. ¡°So a greater god is a being that can influence across different realms. Basically other worlds other then this one. A lesser god is a being that can freely have influence over one realm they are also described as local gods. A demi-god is a being that started as a regular mortal such as you or I but has been able to have there soul ascend from the cycle of death and rebirth. There souls are anchored to a particular realm like a lesser god. There is two big differences between local gods and demigods. The first difference is that demigods are not near as free to influence their realm as a local god. The second difference is that demigods do not have to abide to the balance of a realm like the local gods do.¡± Mabel explained everything in easy to understand words. I think I like her. ¡°So how does one become a demigod or god? Is there a process to ascend?¡± I was curious of this part. ¡°Well there is 2 ways to ascend. The first is to gather enough followers and divine power to make yourself immortal this is a long process taking centuries, it would be impossible for creatures with short life cycles such as humans, dwarfs, or beast-kin. The second way is¡± She paused here for a second to gather herself ¡°To kill a god and take in their power.....¡± ¡°Wait I thought you said that gods were immortal how does one kill a god.¡± This has just gotten interesting. ¡°Lara immortal and invulnerable are two different things. While being unaffected by weapons created destroy the body all gods like us have a soul. A weapon designed to kill a soul is able to destroy a god. Very few exist the one you are probably most familiar with is Excalibur¡± ¡°The use of such weapons is extremely taboo since souls are precious things.¡± She said this very seriously. ¡°Ok one last question lets say a demi-god has there physical body destroyed. What happens then?¡± ¡°When a demi-god has there physical body destroyed there soul remains anchored to the realm. They are sort of like a phantom. It is possible for a demi-god to generate a suitable vessel with enough power. A demi-god can also make a contract with a mortal designating them as there champion this grants the mortal with some of their power while the mortal typically carrys out the demi-gods bidding as payment¡± Our conversation quickly turned to the others excluding me and Lux talking about what boys in the party they liked. Of course the ringleader in these discussions was my very own Siena. It seemed like the popular ones talked about were Reid, Oliver, and Luke. The guys that were made fun of were Rictor and especially Dax Siena seemed to fancy the fellow elf Melinus. I just simply pulled out a book and started reading. As night was approaching we made camp, I could see the giant lake far on the horizon. Long-fur was cooking up a stew for us and we were making chat with the other members of the other wagons. I was approached by our designated dwarven blacksmith Grimblee. ¡°Hey miss elf I curious what weapon you have? My services are available to all adventurers in the city rank A and up so I am familiar with the other members of the party but I have never sharpen your weapon so I don''t know what state it is in.¡± How diligent but I doubt I will ever need to resharpen these things, I guess I will treat him to inspecting Taichi and Tanken. ¡°I actually just got a new sword set from a tournament I won. I will show them to you but I doubt they need any work at the moment.¡± I pulled out the twin blades from their sheaths. The adamantium looked so beautiful in the setting sunlight. After holding up the swords for a moment Grimblee fell on his rump. He had the most shocked expression on his face and I think I could see tears in the corner of his eyes. ¡°I can''t believe I actually get to see the legendary swords of Hiroshi. These were crafted by my great, great, great, great grandpa over 300 years ago. The swords have the Blackrock family logo engraved in them. They are made of pure adamantium that you can only smelt inside the biggest Volcano in the Red mountains Mount Kildon. These are quite possibly the best swords in the entire world, with exception to the legendary Excalibur.¡± He seemed to appreciate them as much as I did. ¡°They are perfections of dwarven smithing I cant help but get amazed every time I see them. Your ancestor was truly a master smith.¡± We continued our conversation and I got him to sharpen my daggers for me. I think I made his day. We all shared a tent with one other person, of course Dax was upset when they paired him up with Leon. I of course was with Siena. I was tired from the long day and drifted off quickly. ¡­. ¡­.... ¡­......... ¡°You have all been selected here because you are special.¡± I was looking at tall figure in expensive archmage robes. He looked like a human and his aura seemed to be very sinister. There were 6 others around me who were also all paying attention to the robed man. They all looked like half-demons. ¡°All of you posses affinity to untapped power residing in every being in this realm. Their sins, I offer you all a chance to harness that power for yourselves. Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Jealousy, Pride, Sloth, and Wrath each of you represent one of these¡± He then held out a golden cup elegantly designed the magical forces coming from the cup was so extreme that I was shaking from its oppressiveness. ¡°This cup here is the grail of elven god Shim, the most pure god of this realm. Inside is the blood of her favorite unicorn Arria a demi-god I have slain and collected her blood. If you drink from this cup you will too become demigods. However by drinking this you will be cast into the game I have set up for you and there is no turning back. The winner will become the most powerful force in this realm¡± He wanted us all to drink from the cup and play his game he set up. One of the people eagerly stepped forward ¡°I figured you would be eager for this power Sanite, your ambition for power has lead you from the slums of Atlus to one of the wealthiest people among your people.¡± The man gave the man the grail and he drank from it. Nothing changed visually but I could sense that Sanite aura did in fact become magnitudes more powerful. One by one all the other members except for me went up and drank from the cup. I didn''t like this cup, I didn''t want this type of power, and I didn''t trust this man. Then words not of my own came out of my mouth as if I was just an observer. ¡°Lord Magnus thy must apologize, thy must forbear from this malefic covenant. Thy finds the Lord motives both dubious and shrouded¡± The voice and way of speech were of Grena''s. ¡°I thought you might reject my gift however there is none whom has the same affinity to wrath as you. I am afraid I am going to have to insist you reconsider.¡± My muscles got very weak, I noticed that I had a dart in the side of my neck. How could I have not sensed the dart being fired at me? The assailant must have been totally concealed. Magnus slowly approached me. My now paralyzed body just sat there. It was so terrifying All I could manage was a few mumbled words as he set me on his knee and opened my mouth to drink from the unholy grail. ¡°Magnus you will have remorse of this ergerious act.¡± Then everything got white again. And I was looking at Grena again. ¡°That is thy''s memory of the start of my kin''s extinction. Magnus''s game was for us to gather power until the next alignment of the planets and then kill one another until only one participant remained.¡± She said. ¡°The game played out and thy was the last one. Not only of the participants but also of my people. The game had caused everyone to give in to their sins to feed us power, It didn''t take long for them to kill each other off. All of the malice and suffering we had caused had fed to the grail we had drank from. Magnus wanted thy to drink from the cup once again to finish the twisted ritual but thy knew if thy had thy soul would have been engulfed with darkness.¡± She continued ¡°Thy would have been the harbinger of Armageddon. That was Magnus''s goal from the beginning he wanted to start the world anew by destroying all life. I however killed thyself before thy could be forced to partake and thy thought that was the end. However several cycles ago, Magnus let us know that the game was not over and would resume and be fought amongst our champions in our place.¡± She came close to me and looked at me. ¡°This time to end the game once and for all thy will let my soul be engulfed by darkness and have my champion dispatch thyself. Lara thy would like that champion to be thou. The next alignment is in around 15 cycles, by becoming thy champion Lara will benefit from some of my power, thy must warn thou though. Thou affinity for wrath is extremely high as well thou must take care to not get consumed by it.¡± I noticed I was in control of my body and was able to speak. ¡°Everything you have shown me is true, I just know it is. I don''t know how I get mixed up in this but I feel this is fate pulling us together. I promise you I will succeed for everyone no matter what. How do we seal this pact?¡± I asked her I had a great feeling of uneasiness over all this. ¡°With the traditional method of sealing a pact of course.¡± She had a big smile on her face. What is the traditional method for forming a pact? I quickly learned because her lips were swiftly connected to mine. I felt her tongue invade my mouth and instead of pushing away I found myself returning the kiss in the same manner. Everything felt right in that moment. I could feel a deep connection form between us. I could sense what she was thinking and I also could feel some of her knowledge being passed to me. I totally forgot that I was frenching a demi-god in my dream for a while and just let the connection between us finish forming. I noticed a window pop up.
Champion of Grena -Access to Grena''s abilities(Limiter placed) -????????? unlock to reveal more -????????? unlock to reveal more
She backed off and started to fade away, as she was disappearing she had some words. ¡°Thy power is hard to control, so thy have given thou just a portion. When thy master''s it thy will dispense more to thou. Be careful in the ruins of Atlus, there are far more dangerous things then Sanite''s champion down there.¡± ¡­ ¡­... ¡°Lara! Wake up.¡± I heard Siena''s voice and I opened my eyes. In front of me was a statue of Grena the very demi-god I just experienced......... yuri with. I wonder if that counts as my first kiss? ¡°Jeez you know you just sleep walked about 2 miles from the campsight? Somehow subconciounessly you had made a barrier around you so I was unable to get you. You came all the way out here and kissed some statue tehe. Fufufu I had a feeling you liked girls based on how you don''t take interest in boys. Come on lets go back. The others will be concerned¡± Siena then escorted me back to the campsight. Only a few people were awake and none of them bothered us. I found I was able to go back asleep with out issue. I once again was waken by Siena''s voice ¡°Lara! Lara wake up! Something terrible has happened!¡± Her voice was extremely distraught. ¡°Siena its early.....¡± I just wanted 10 more minutes too bad Siena doesn''t have a snooze button. ¡°Its about Reid the archpriest, someone killed him last night after we got back to the camp. We are all meeting up to discuss the ramifications of this.¡± Reid murdered? Do we have a traitor in the group?? Another assassin? I had checked everyone status....... Chapter 18 Gathering Flowers in a Swamp can be Dangerous Chapter 18 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorry this took so long to get out. Just had my first exams last week. I am going to try and put out a chapter every week for a while here since now I have some extra time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gathering Flowers in a Swamp can be Dangerous Reid murdered? This is bad Reid was a level 77 priest capable of healing major wounds, we were relying on his skills. The other healer Mabel, is only level 63 and can only heal moderate injuries from what I have seen. I suppose if someone wanted to cause the most damage to our group Reid would have been the obvious target. Its common knowledge in mmo pvp to target the enemy healer first, and that strategy works here too. With us unable to heal major injuries there is a decent chance that Diana will have to force us to withdraw for this expedition. For moderate and light wounds we should be able to manage with Leon and Basu both able to help out on a limited basis. Obviously our healing situation is secondary to the elephant in the room, the sudden murder of a comrade. Siena and I went up to group surrounding Diana. To the side there was a group of people surrounding Leon who was crying his heart out, from what I could tell Leon was very close to Reid. They both were believers of Tyr a god of light and justice, I imagine they have been on several adventures together. ¡°As I am sure you all know by now our priest Reid was murdered last night. I have entrusted the investigation to Basu. Our enchanter Oliver had set up a barrier to alarm us when it detected a different presence then the members of this group He informed me that no foreign presences had entered the camp last night. That means that there is a murderer among us.¡± Diana had just opened a can of worms. ¡°Its obviously the demon whore, her kind is responsible for countless others deaths¡± Rictor claimed with out putting much thought into it. ¡°I doubt that she was with me all night.¡± April her tent partner stood up for her. ¡°Yeah but were you awake the whole time? Perhaps she slipped out when you were asleep and returned before you could notice she was gone. Or maybe you are in cahoots with her¡± Rictor countered. ¡°We will not turn this into a necromancer hunt. Until we find credible evidence everyone is innocent. Basu could you give us your finding from your investigation.?¡± Diana turned to the monk standing to her right. ¡°It appears Reid had left his tent about 5 hours ago, his tent partner Melinus noticed him depart before falling asleep again. After leaving his tent he came to the the campfire and filled his mug with ale, Long fur and Grimblee noticed him depart to the river which he assumed was a morning wash. When he was at the river he was alone with the culprit, his ale was poisoned with a paralyzing agent. The agent was probably of super quality if it was able to subdue a priest almost level 80. After incapacitating the priest the culprit slit his throat making sure to severe the wind pipe to prevent and casting of the priest to heal him self.¡± After this Basu sat down. ¡°Until further notice all party members will be with at least 2 party members at all times. Mabel you are unable to heal injury''s at the fatal level?¡± Diana asked the priestess. ¡°Unfortunately no, I am not far from that point but I still have a bit to go.¡± Mabel confirmed Diana''s suspicion. ¡°Well obviously this dangerous of a mission deaths are a serious possibility but with no way to cure major injuries I am afraid I have to seriously consider withdrawing the raid until we can recruit another priest.¡± Diana reluctantly stated. ¡°Withdrawing is exactly what the murders want, its probably Eclipse behind this. They probably want to raid the ruins first.¡± Leon who was silent till now had spoke what he was feeling. Eclipse now that''s a familiar to me, I remember overhearing that the assassin''s guild refused to do any marks for them. Eclipse is sort of a shadow organization like the assassins'' guild but they have a specific agenda and hierarchy. Most people don''t even believe they really exist and think people who do are conspiracy theorists. I guess they are like the Illuminati of this world. ¡°Even if that is true, it still doesn''t change the situation we are in. If someone was to get hurt real bad we would have no way to heal them. Trust me I don''t like it anymore then you.¡± Diana countered. I really don''t like to play my cards but I guess I don''t have a choice, I cant afford for this mission to fail. This plan I am thinking of is definitely risky, but I think it will work. I reached into my spacial ring and pulled out one of my 4 high potions I had crafted I go up to Diana and hand it to her. ¡°I made this potion, the herbs I would need to craft more are blood-thorn, water poppy, and fox root which conveniently grow close to the lake. I have a huge surplus of blood thorn, but I would still need the other two. Fortunately Lake Malia is best place to get these herbs especially the water poppy which is good because I need more of that then fox root. It would be about a half a day venture if I had a party helping me.¡± Diana inspected the potion and even tasted a drop. Her expression became extremely surprised. ¡°This is a high potion and a high end one at that. Only a master alchemist could achieve such a masterpiece. You made this?!¡± Sort of figured this would happen but I don''t care this venture has to succeed no matter what. I will deal with all the annoyances of people knowing that I am able to craft miracle potions latter. ¡°Yes my alchemy is level 8. I will let everyone know right now thought that this is a one time thing. I don''t craft for other people and I certainly don''t do orders. I am not a merchant or a craftsman, just a simple hobbyist. After this adventure if anyone approaches me to make them potions I will simply decline them. Money is not a problem for me.¡± When I said level 8 alchemy people including Siena gasped. ¡°Can you prove that your skill is truly what you state I can''t detect anything with information magic. Perhaps you could share your status?¡± Diana why cant you just believe me? I cant share my status with you I would become the prime suspect in Reids murder if I did that. ¡°I am against sharing my whole status¡± I decline her. ¡°She is hiding something perhaps she is the one who killed Reid!¡± Dax using his idiot reasoning skills came to that conclusion. ¡°If I was here to sabotage this mission, why would I offer my services to keep it going? Logically it doesn''t make sense no? I simply have personal things in my status that I don''t want to share.¡± I don''t believe his 90 intelligence on his status. ¡°Well when you put it like that I guess it would be pretty dumb of you. Even still I don''t trust you.¡± Dax added ¡°Then perhaps you just share your alchemy skill with me, I don''t need to see anything but that.¡± Diana just said something that I just now realized to be true. When sharing information I can choose what I share. I guess the fact that all my information I get is from gods information so I don''t really have much practice in information magic. I think in my head Skills Alchemy and I can see a window pop up
Skill Alchemy Level 8
I grab Diana''s hand and send this over to her. This method is surely going to become handy down the road. ¡°Remarkable to think that such a young elf is a master alchemist and in the party. Why would you even risk your life with your skill in alchemy you could become very wealthy.¡± Diana was still amazed about it. ¡°Like I said money does not motivate me I didn''t learn alchemy to make money from it, it is simply a hobby of mine like my singing and reading. This is my life so if lose it going on some dumb adventure at least it was my own decision. Regardless of what you feel I should be doing with my ''skill'' right here, right now I am offering to help us with it. As I see it this is the only other option other then total withdrawal¡± Diana looked like she was thinking really hard about something finally she came to the same conclusion I did. She leaned down and whispered in my ear. ¡°You do realize that this will make you a target for the assassin, you sure you want to put yourself at risk?¡± ¡°The assailant is more then welcomed to try. As a alchemist I have the uncanny ability to sense poisons. As for ambushes and acts of subterfuge I welcome any attempts against me, it will make finding the traitor easier.¡± I confidently boast. ¡°You are willing to be bait? I don''t like this at all but if you are willing to do it I cant flat out turn it down¡± She stopped whispering in my ear and talked to the group. ¡°Me and Lara are going to go in my tent and organize this party and figure out what we are doing.¡± Diana dismissed everyone. She had me come with her to her tent. Siena strong armed her way into coming with us, using Diana''s 3 person rule against her as her reason. ¡°So how many do you think you need for this party?¡± Diana inquired. ¡°I think 6 to 8 would be good I would like the two scouts, and one of the tanks in case we encounter a tough monster. The other members I will let you choose, I have surplus potions to cure moderate injuries so taking the healer is not necessary.¡± I tell Diana who I need. ¡°Well I am going with you obviously miss secret master alchemist.¡± I think Siena might be mad at me. ¡°For the mage take Oliver, for the tank take Basu. I think Mabel should go too. The main travel group shouldn''t run into anything more serious then bandits past the crossroads village. Lets draw up the plan on a map.¡± Diana pulled out her map, I was able to use earth magic to make a copy of it. This somewhat surprised them me casting a level 3 earth magic spell, I used an incantation even though I didn''t need to. I must admit earth magic is quickly becoming a favorite of mine, just from sheer terms of versatility. I am also partial to fire magic, as Taiko I may have been a bit of a pyromaniac. I quickly whipped together a basic plan on the parchment using my knowledge of where the herbs were located. Spoiler : ¡°So the gathering party will split off as we break camp this morning we will cross the river and follow it down to the lake fox root likes to grow by where the river meets the lake. This river isn''t that big so if we don''t gather enough there is another spot close to the rally point that we can go to that will get us what we are lacking. Water poppy grows in swamp area''s, fortunately there is a swamp right by the lake that would be an ideal place to gather it. Unfortunately the swamp also has the most dangerous monsters in the area. I believe monster can get up to level 80 here we will be relying on our scouts to steer us from danger.¡± I would be in charge of the herb gathering team I explained our plan. ¡°And I will lead the main group to Jaminton. We will briefly stop to pick up some extra rations and supplies and then travel north. Then veer off towards the rendezvous point the Serpent tree.¡± It seems we have everything in order. ¡°Diana watch your back I feel like we are walking into a trap.¡± Whoever is behind this is obviously doesn''t want us to complete this raid I have a feeling that us continuing this raid is going to cause them to try to counter our movements. Its most likely either Eclipse or it could potentially be Sanite''s Champion or possibly they are both working together. We explained the plan to the others, gathered our groups and split up. It seemed everyone was apprehensive about this whole operation because of the traitor in the group. I honestly have no idea who the traitor is but there is a 40% chance they are in my group, I will have to stay vigilante. We traveled down the river without problem. When we arrived at its mouth there was plenty fox root, I also found some water poppy too but I would need a lot more to have enough to make the high potions we needed. There was tons of fox root here, we were able to gather more then enough for the quantity of potions we wanted we wouldn''t have to go to the second gather sight for fox root. ¡°The Ki of this place is foul even sinister, yet we have yet to encounter any monsters, this can only be the result of monster predation. I can sense an extremely powerful monster''s presence to the north we must tread carefully. Basu said something that I had almost overlooked myself.0 ¡°I must agree we should send out the scouts and Basu out to figure out where this monster is so we can avoid encountering it at all costs. A monster capable of wiping out everything here is possibly a level 80 or higher and perhaps even a special monster¡± I sent out the to scout ahead if they aggro it all 3 of them should be fast enough to run away. The rest of us took a small break before we started to gather the all important water poppy flowers. About a half hour latter the 3 of them came back with details of the unknown presence. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°It is a lot worse then I first thought, the abnormality is from an colossal abomination. This is likely the work of a high level necromancer.¡± Basu reported obviously this is a lot worse then we all thought. ¡°A necromancer? It is our duty to purge him and all of his creations!¡± Leon enthusiastically claimed. ¡°We will do no such thing. I will report this to Diana and then we will figure the best course of action.¡± I am not going to risk our mission on an issue the church or monarchy should be dealing with. ¡°You are just a little girl I don''t take orders from you. If you guys wont help me I will eliminate this evil presence myself¡± Leon was not in his right mind he was still upset from the death of his best friend. He tried to walk towards the swamp but I stepped in front of him. ¡°Little girl or not I am in charge of this group, if you want to resign from this mission so be it but I cant allow you to go and die and rile up this abomination into either of our groups while we are not full strength. I will fight you if necessary.¡± I really didn''t want to resort to this but I cant risk the mission on one person, this is all bigger then one person. I moved very swiftly into the path Leon was taking and assumed a battle position. ¡°Leon please come to your sense, we know that Reid was a very good friend to you. You are not in your right mind.¡± Siena was trying to help. ¡°Youngster or not her words are wisdom. We cannot fight as well separated as we can together. Please back down my friend.¡± Basu was backing me too. ¡°Well I expected her elf friends to listen to her but you too Basu? She is just a child that only got on this mission because her friend was the one who found the book. She is only B rank. Now get out of my way Lara before I hurt you it the duty of a paladin to purge corruption like this.¡± I just remained where I was my hand at my blade totally focused on Leon''s movements. Leon sprinted at me with his shield in front of him in an attempt to bulldoze me over. As he approached I used earth magic Earthen Wall to block his charge for me. Incredibly Leon was able to completely demolish the wall with his charge. His momentum was greatly reduced though and I took my first swing with Taichi at the paladin. A loud clank noise rang out and I realized that we were making to much noise I looked over at Oliver who was still in shock that we were fighting. ¡°Please can you put up a quick barrier from the sound?¡± Oliver quickly realized what I was asking and I could feel a barrier go up around us. With the new barrier up I was able to go all out Leon never once budged from his position, he truly was a tank in all meanings of the word. His own strikes were very poor and easily dodged, his best attacks were often with his shield. ¡°Please Leon be reasonable we cant waste anymore time here we need to continue the mission and regroup with the others¡± We had been fighting for over 20 minutes now. When I say fighting I mean me attacking and him blocking everything. Even spells he was guarded against my only effective weapon for such an opponent right now was reason and logic. Unfortunately Leon was immune to both of those at the moment. At that moment something very disturbing caught my eye in my peripheral I could see birds escape the tree line from afar. I honed in my senses and I could feel a slight vibration on the ground every few seconds. Shit our scouts are to busy watching us fight one another to notice it. It doesn''t help there is a sound barrier to prevent the sound of trees getting knocked over. I am left with two options now. The first is probable the one I should do, and leave this idiot paladin to die. We would have to rely on basu tanking which is sketchy but somewhat feasible. The other option is to rally our members here and fight it. This group is strong even our scouts are no slouches. I have confidence that we can kill this but there may be casualties. My inner battle maniac telling me to fight, while the logical part of me was telling to run away. Fight, if I had listened to only logic I would have never became Jennifer''s apprentice, I would probably be still in Lorrington bottled up forced to entertain nobility that often disgusted me. To be frank I would probably still be Taiko not that it would be a bad thing. ¡°Looks like you get your wish Leon, everyone battle positions. I want the scouts and mage providing cover fire from atop that hill protect Mabel up there she is our lifeline. Leon and Basu you will fight over there where the ground is soft this should have no effect on us but his movements will be impeded. Siena we will assault his flank once those two encounter him.¡± I explained the battle plan as best as possible. ¡°So we are going to kite him back here?¡± Leon was wondering why we were setting up here. ¡°No you idiot¡± I pointed to place where the birds were flying up from the horizon. ¡°He is coming to us¡± We all got into our spots, the abomination was close by. ¡°Lara we have a problem, I cant find Mabel anywhere. Its weird because I didn''t notice her disappear¡± Oliver said very dejectedly. Mabel gone? I found it weird that the abomination would hone in our area just from one clash. So she is the traitor after all, I had serious suspicion about her and Mason our rogue. Well to be honest I always suspect a rogue even if he is my friend. Without a healer in the backline our chance of success just dropped dramatically. She perhaps is working with the necromancer with the abomination taking such a direct course to us its master must be close by. If I am able to kill the necromancer then the abomination''s becomes a lot less of a threat. ¡°I am going to go and dispatch this guys master Oliver you are in charge while I am gone.¡± Before anyone can object I vanish and head into the swamp. I can now see the abomination it is a level 95 with over 30k health. This thing is going to be hard to take down. It is heading to the party and should be there in a minute. Just hold on over there guys, I just have to find this guy''s master. Once I kill him the abomination will lose a lot of his buffs and will be less coordinated. I hone in my senses and try the best to block out the 20 foot tall mountain of flesh moving towards my party. I pick up a familiar voice, its Mabel''s. I zero in where I detected the voice, staying hidden When I get close I see Mabel next to a guy in black robes his name Eanton a level 79 necromancer. He must have some really good equipment if he is able to control a abomination like this one. I pull out my daggers, it is time to make use of my class skill''s. A shadowblade has the ability to travel in between shadows. The move is called a shadowstep, I have used it in my sparring sessions with Jennifer so I know how to do it effectively I just never have had the opportunity to use it in a situation like this. It uses a lot of mana for being a class skill but fortunately I have a surplus. I think the incantaion in my head. ''I move among the shadows, a passenger of the darkness'' I shadowstepped behind the Eanton with my right hand I stab into his collarbone area aiming for the clavian artery, with my left hand I stab into his chest slipping in between ribs to hit his heart. Eanton lets out a gasp as he must be quite shocked to be stabbed in two vital places simultaneously. He crumpled to the ground in shock as blood gushes out of him. I turn to Mabel and smile. ¡°Its too bad for him you are unable to cure fatal injuries like this.¡± I taunt Mabel. ¡°An assassin, I would have never guessed that. I couldn''t get a reading on you so I was curious. So what now you kill me too?¡± Mabel knew she didn''t stand a chance against me this close to her. ¡°Well I would like to know why you are working for Eclipse.¡± I asked her daggers still out. ¡°It is simple Lara because this world is sick, order needs to be brought to it. We need to be unified under one banner.¡± She seemed very sold on this notion. ¡°Well you are coming back with me don''t try and run away either it wont work.¡± I warn her and gesture my head back to the group. ¡°I don''t run from anything especially fate.¡± She started walking to where the party was. When we got back everything had gone smooth apparently after I killed Eanton the abomination had lost balance and fell down to the ground and was easy to kill at that point. We bound Mabel''s hand and sat her down in the one tent we had set up to be interrogated by Basu, me, and Leon. The rest of the party was going enjoy a quick meal with some ale that we brought from the wagon back at camp. ¡°Who is the leader of Eclipse and where can we find him?¡± Basu would do the questioning since he had the most experience doing this kind of thing. ¡°Well god of course the one true god I however can not say his name to outsiders.¡± Mabel had a huge smile on her face as she thought about this god. ¡°Then who is the person who is in charge of the followers? Who gives orders in this god''s name?¡± Basu continued. ¡°I am not allowed to discuss that either with outsiders.¡± She smiled back at him. I sort of wish I had done my own interrogation away from onlookers. The interrogation continued for a while. We were able to get very little information out of her. Finally Leon spoke up. ¡°Friend we need to leave soon we still have to pick water poppy and meet up with the other group before sunset.¡± Leon was right this whole fiasco had put us behind schedule. ¡°I wouldn''t worry about that.¡± Mabel said very ominously. ¡°And why is that?¡± I asked her. ¡°Oh because they are all dead. That town we were heading for was a trap. We had enough forces to handle your full 20 and you Lara did us a favor by splitting you guys up. The only alive members now are just us four.¡± ¡°Us four? We have another four outside.¡± I was getting extremely angry right now. ¡°Well you see that damn dwarf was always inspecting the ale so I could never poison the whole party but once we split off from him I was able to poison the ale we brought with us! Don''t worry they just went to sleep permanently it was not painful.¡± Mabel is now laughing uncontrollably. I shot out the tent and saw the four members all lying down on the ground. I quickly ran to Siena I used analyze on her and her status was dead. The moment I looked at her lifeless face anger welled into my like never before. My whole body felt like it was literally on fire, my whole vision started to bleed red swallowing up everything in sight. SNAP I blacked out. . .. ... When I regained my consciousness everything was still red, no wait that''s actual red from blood. In front of me there a corpse that is so thoroughly mutilated you would have trouble identifying what creature it belonged to. I looked around and see Basu and Leon both heavily injured looking upon me in sheer horror. What have I done? I cant believe I lost control like that. My vision now turned white and everything around me started to fade away. My senses come back to me and I am standing in front of a statue and it is nighttime. ¡°Lara! Wake up.¡± A familiar voice calls out me. I turned to the voice and saw a sight that brought tears to my eyes. ¡°Jeez you know you just sleep walked about 2 miles from the campsite? Somehow subconsciousness you had made a barrier around you so I was unable to get you. You came all the way out here and kissed some statue tehe. Fufufu I had a feeling you liked girls based on how you don''t take interest in boys. Come on lets go back. The others will be concerned¡± Siena expression had changed when she saw my tears. A blue window popped up
Skill: Dream Vision -Able to dream about future events involving the person
I ran up and hugged Siena my tears just kept coming right now I am so happy she is alive. ¡°Lara your hug is hurting me.¡± I don''t care Siena I am going to hug you anyways. ¡°Don t you ever drink ale without asking me if its OK again.¡± I cant believe that was all a dream. It was real. ¡°Lara you are scaring me is everything alright?¡± She could tell something was wrong with me, I mean I guess it is pretty obvious huh. The whole event was just a vision, a part of the power that Grena possesses I assume. Siena''s death, the party splitting up, Reid''s murder all had been a vision. Wait Reid''s murder! ¡°Siena we have to get back to camp now!¡± I grab her hand and drag her with me as we hustle back to camp. Chapter 19 Saving priests and Random Voices is Hard Work Chapter 19 I dragged Siena through the woods back to camp as fast as I can. She is asking me what the problem is but I don''t have the time to explain. I am fairly certain that Mabel is about to kill Reid about now, it may even be too late After getting back to camp I ask Long-fur if he had seen Mabel or Reid and he informed me that Reid just left with some ale to the river. After pointing us in the direction we quickly depart to the river. I shoot off like a rocket leaving Siena behind. I must make it to him in time, I must prevent this from happening. With my low-light vision and moonlight I arrive at the river. I am too late. I look at Reid''s body laying on the river bank bleeding from his neck. Wait he''s still bleeding! I look at has status while I leap to him pulling out two high potion from my spacial ring. He is has under 100 health and losing it rapidly. I quickly pour one full potion all into his neck wound, I used my best potion of the four I made. I pour second down his throat. Surprisingly he still is conscious and paralyzed but I can see his eyes light up when I came to help him. I finally give him an antidote for the paralysis the health potions should heal him but if I can get rid of his paralysis I can stabilize him a lot quicker. I hear a noise I swiftly whip out my crossbow if Mabel is coming back to make sure Reid died I wont let her waste the 3 potions I used to save his life. Its not Mabel its just Siena. ¡°Oh my goodness Reid? Are you ok?¡± Siena was shocked at the scene with all the blood. ¡°I thought dark elves were supposedly very sneaky, you do not give credit to that rumor. I could have easily ambushed you if I was an enemy.¡± I tease Siena for being very load. I am somewhat serious we are walking a tight rope right now and need everyone to tread carefully. She however is a bit ignorant of the situation and I will let her off with only a tease. ¡°Ok Lara its time to tell me what is going on. I don''t know what to think anymore. You sleep walk far away, you wake up and rush to a bloody scene by a river. I am not going to take your traditional vague answers anymore. We are friends right? Friends don''t keep friends in the dark about things this important.¡± Siena rightfully wanted answers however at this time I can''t answer her all her questions ¡°Well what is going on is simple, we have been infiltrated by Eclipse and they have attempted to take out our main healer. I used some of my potion''s to save his life.¡± I explain the premise of the situation. ¡°Why would eclipse infiltrate us? To stop us for exploring the ruins?¡± I nod to her. ¡°So how did you know this was going to happen?¡± I suppose I will just tell her the truth not that it is believible to most. ¡°You may not believe this but I had a dream about this happening, and a lot of things happening after this.¡± Siena''s expression quickly turned more serious then I have ever seen her. She got close up to me and looked me dead in the eyes. ¡°Lara if what you told me is true you must promise not to tell anyone else about it. People who possess physic powers are very sought after and are very valuable. They are so rare when people do discover one they often get roped into becoming someone''s seer forcibly. I don''t understand though, people with physic powers have no mana, you clearly have mana so how is it that you posses both?¡± I was about to chalk it up to being Grena''s champion however I remember the dream vision skill wasn''t under Grena''s champion it was just alongside all my other skills. Kara RosewoodThe Angel of Death HumanFemaleShadowbladeBard844The Songstress Princess,Prodigy, Princess, Champion of Grena2225/22256315/6734Psionic Power:200/7102550/3650245 328355 39211589262105 ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°Tyr has sent an angel to his humble servant in his hour of need. Mabel almost killed me there. I however am afraid it is going to take me years to repay you for the potions you used to save me with. I will serve you dutifully to the best of my abilities until that my Lady.¡± He tried to kneel in front of me but he fell down the idiot just lost an insane amount of blood he needs to rest. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°Help me¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°Please someone help me!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°As you wish.¡± He smiled happy that he was of use to me. Ugh this charm effect can be extremely annoying at times. ¡° ¡° ¡°The are going to sacrifice me please someone help.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° I finally finished the potion. I went and grabbed two mugs and filled one of them ale slipping my truth potion into one of them. I headed to Diana''s tent. I put on an actual pair of fake elf ears I had made by Zyra matching my skin color for situations with magical barriers such as this after having learned my lesson with the prince a few months ago. I knocked on the door and Diana came out and briefed me on what happened. Basically they had apprehended her after tricking her into entering the magical barrier afterwards they interrogated her accusing her of killing Reid and asking about her affiliation with Eclipse. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°Help me, they are going to use me for there ritual. I need someone to save me.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Chapter 20 The Night Before the Raid Chapter 20 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This chapter had gotten way to long so I broke off this chunk of it and are releasing it as a seperate chapter. Chapter 21 should be coming out quicker then usual since it is already half wrote. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Night Before the Raid I woke up from my slumber slightly chilled winter was approaching and I had not brought a heavy blanket in my pack I went up to the campfire to warm up. ¡°I got into that spacial ring but I needed Reid''s help to do it. There was some fancy warding magic that I hadn''t encountered before. Diana mentioned you wanted something that was inside of it¡± It was Mason our rogue. He is actually a pretty famous member of the thieves guild but also works as an adventurer. A rogue skill set is very much a need for exploration missions such as this. You never know when there is going to be a trap or lock. ¡°Yes she had a journal in there I need it.¡± Mason went and retrieved the journal for me. This journal was definitely plain looking. I looked at the last few entries. After writing down the 3 rd letter of every 6 letter word I got this kill the priest beware of the white one Who is the white one? Perhaps they are a friend? I will need to ask Mabel. I spend a few minutes encoding a new message with Mabel''s handwriting thanks to my forgery skill I have acquired. The message is ''priest dead raid aborted''. With this false information we will be able to sneak around the swamps and to our destination unhindered. All we need to do is dispatch the the team watching the entrance. Once we are inside Eclipse wont be able to hinder us no more. I make my way to Diana''s tent. Mabel is still sleeping I go and wake her up. ¡°You used a potion on me and it wasn''t from my ring. I foolishly drank it, but I am curious where you acquired it. I only know one person who can craft a potion that complicated and they would not be helping you.¡± She sat up and looked at me. ¡°I will tell you if you tell me who the white one is?¡± I counter her inquiry. ¡°Ugh how much did I reveal so much? Well I don''t know who the white one is and you don''t need me to drink a potion to confirm that.¡± She was still upset how I used a truth potion on her. ¡°Well seeing as how you are really curious about that potion''s maker. Perhaps the alchemist who made it is the white one?¡± I was just throwing it out there because there was a decent possibility that I was the white one since I do have pure white mana. The expression on Mabel face when I asked that though showed me that my fishing for information was well worth it. ¡°So does eclipse have a seer on their side? They saw a future where someone disrupted them and there energies were white?¡± It would explain this situation. Mabel smiled when I asked this though. ¡°Lara you are really clever but I am afraid all your cleverness is going to waste. Even if you were to enlist the help of the white one you guys would be hard pressed to make it all the way to the bottom of Atlus let alone without a priest.¡± ¡°You know Eclipse must not be that strong if you need an aspect of greed to do your dirty work, I will enjoy crushing your guys plans in Zyrus and then I will enjoy killing Cain for having been so willing to hurt my friends for his own selfish ambitions.¡± ¡°You speak as though you have the power to oppose what is happening, this raid is doomed it would be best if you gave up this expedition. Otherwise your friends will get hurt.¡± When Mabel mentioned hurting my friends the memory of my dream vision came to at me. I pulled my dagger out and dug it slightly into Mabel''s throat, a small stream of blood began to flow from the wound. I looked her directly into her eye with extreme killing intent. She began to shiver from it. ¡°If it was my call you would be dead right now. Diana however wants you to be put on trial for treason for some idiotic reason. She is in charge of this expedition so I will play nice for now. I do however hope you give me a reason to slit your traitorous little throat you bitch. Unlike you I enjoy watching people bleed out after I slash their throats.¡± I sort of let my emotions of my dream vision get the better of me for a second. I left Mabel who was still in shock from my little outburst. After meeting with Diana and explaining that we needed to avoid Jammington at all costs we agree to travel the path along side the swamps of Malia. There is a bonus of gathering herbs and we get to avoid the opposing forces in the city. Once we get close to the entrance I will personally dispatch there recon team outside keeping an eye on it. We spend the next 30 minutes briefing the raid on what has transpired overnight and the new plan that we have come up with. ¡°I just want to know one thing why are we keeping the traitor with us wouldn''t be easier if we just kill her.¡± Its probably the first time I have ever agreed with Rictor. ¡°There is a justice system in place if we went ahead and took justice in our own hands we would be no better then them.¡± Diana is a good person but I feel her naivety is going to get her in trouble. After packing up we all got ready to leave we brought out Mabel who was wearing shackles made by Oliver which made it impossible for her to cast spells while wearing them. When she noticed that Reid was still alive the expression on her was priceless. ¡°This is an illusion?! How is the priest still alive this is impossible?¡± ¡°Surprised? You make a lousy assassin¡± I tease her, to be honest her assassination attempt was really good but I just happened to foresee it ahead of time. ¡°Please someone save me. They want me for my blood. I don''t know how long I have.¡± I heard the voice again for the first time today. Grena told me to be careful but something told me this was not a trap. I try to figure out the direction of where its coming from I feel like it is coming from underneath me which is weird. For now I just have to ignore it still. We began our day''s long trek alongside the swamps of lake Malia. I got Diana to put me in the scout team which kind of got Siena salty. I wanted to be able to gather so herbs while we took this route so I could craft a few more high potions since I had already burned through a few saving Reid''s life. The monster population had been really effected by Eanton''s abomination and there was hardly anything we encountered. Long-fur and Melinus were both edgy for good reason, it is very odd to not run into monsters such a high level zone. Eventually we came back to give our reports.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Diana seemed bothered by the ominous report but we just had to continue on. I saw Mabel had a slight smirk on her face. I got up real close to her and whispered in her ear. ¡°I wouldn''t have a smile on your face your friend Eanton and his little creation is going to be unable to come to your rescue. I went ahead and took care of them.¡± I then showed her Eanton''s grimiore from under my robe, then quickly stored it away in my spacial ring. Her smirk quickly disappeared and quickly turned to a shocked expression. ¡°You will regret what you are doing Lara.¡± She said dishearteningly. I was enjoying breaking her spirit. The day continued without incident, as the scout team we eventually ran into a few monster but Melinus and I were able to swiftly dispatch them with our ranged weapons and spells. Long-fur was useful too. Any edible game we encountered was quickly skinned and gutted in minutes. I had collected enough herbs to brew a small batch of high potion''s as well. Our destination tonight was close to the Serpent Tree, it is was the largest tree in this country and had the striking resemblance to that of a snake in structure. There was an old abandoned research facility of the mages guild not far from the serpent tree. We had permission to take shelter there. We had been given an enchant that would prevent the golem sentries from attacking us. After determining no foreign presences were in the facility, instead of returning to the group I told Melinus that I wanted to gather a few more herbs and that I would return to the mansion afterwards. He was concerned because it would soon be dark, but I assured him that I would be fine. The real reason I wanted to separate wasn''t to gather herbs it was to take out this recon team watching the entrance. I slipped into the woods towards my destination. It took me about an hour to reach the destination The entrance is hidden inside of a natural cave. The recon team would likely be observing the cave from a vantage point. When I was finally in view of the cave I looked around. I quickly noted the best 3 vantage points almost immediately. Understanding tactics and strategies is one of the benefits of my war god blessing. The best vantage point was south east on a large hill for two reasons. First the hill had many trees and shrubs to hide from, as well as a blind spot at the top of the hill which you could set up a camp. Second it gave the most coverage of the area especially from the east where likely intruders would come from. I silently approached the hill, it is now partially dark. My intuition on where this small camp is is dead on, there is a tiny encampment at the top of the hill. It looks like there is a team of about 4 since there is only 2 tents. They have a small camp fire going heating up a cooking pot that is cleverly having the smoke get dissipated through some sort of wind magic enchant. I can see 1 person cooking, and I can hear one person lightly snoring in one of the tents. The scout cooking is only level 38, this is child''s play for me. I take out my daggers and sneak up to the scout. He is sitting down on a rock stirring the pot. A quick kidney stab followed by a downward stab inside of the collarbone severing the subclavian artery, is all that is needed. I use this technique in this situation to avoid making a big mess as the blood will fill the lungs before oozing out on to the ground. After searching the body I drag it back into the woods. The active scouts are my next target, I easily can follow the tracks from the camp to the lookout spot. After following the trail for about 5 minutes I find the lookout spot. There is two scouts are in a cleverly camouflaged outlook built out of a tree over hanging the side of the hill. At this point there is a straight 500 foot drop from the hill to the ground. I whip out Taichi its time to test how sharp the blade is. The tree is rather large and its trunk is at least 4 feet in diameter about the same length as my katana. In one quick motion I swing the blade with all my hip and arm strength in a horizontal swing. I was prepared for there to be heavy resistance as the tree was an oak tree, but Taichi was able to slide through it like it was a stick of butter. A ''whoosh'' sound is created not from hitting the tree but from the blade itself breaking the sound barrier . ¡°What the heck is that noise? Hey who are you?¡± One of the scout''s finally noticed me after the noise. ¡°Oh I am just a lumberjack. Timber!¡± With a swift round house kick to the tree that was bisected already the tree started to fall forward over the cliff. By the time the two scouts had time to register what was happening it was too late. I could hear both of them scream as they plummeted to their deaths. I return to the camp and see that the sleeping scout was awakened by the scent of food and is chowing down oblivious to what just happened to his 3 buddies. I need information out of him so cant just take him out right now. I walk right up behind him, my sneak skill is truly op, he has no idea I am behind him. ¡°Is it good? I was thinking of having some earlier but I had to take care of a couple of loose ends first.¡± I say to the scout. My voice causes him to jump to his feet spilling his boil all over him self. ¡°Hey I don''t know who you are but this no place for a little girl. Guys! We have company.¡± The scout said out loud but there was no one to respond. ¡°Guys?!¡± He asked again in a sort of panic. ¡°So I am going to need your help for a few things. The first thing I need to know is how you communicate with Eclipse. The second thing I need to know is where you guys set up booby traps in that cave about a half mile from here.¡± I figure I will try to ask nicely first. After my request the scout pull out his crossbow that was already loaded and fired at me. I dodge the attack with a shadowstep making use of the shadows cast by the moonlight behind him. ¡°What the hell where did she go.¡± As he turned around in a panic looking for me I karate chop at his wrists making him drop his weapon. I follow up with a knee to the gut knocking the wind out of him. ¡°Well that''s no way to treat a lady.¡± I then pull out my dagger and point it right under his chin. ¡°Now I asked you a couple of questions. I suggest you answer them truthfully and swiftly. I have a schedule you know.¡± -------------------------------------------------Siena POV several hours later------------------- I cant believe Lara she goes off on her own and makes us all worry. I am still mad at Melinus and Long-fur for not staying with her. We all are suppose to meet up in the research facility of the mages guild. I hear the front door open and close and rush out to see if its Lara. When I get to the front door I see Lara. I was going to chew her out but her whole presence just makes me admire her extreme beauty and cuteness. I shake out of my trance. ¡°You really made me worry. You shouldn''t go off and do everything by yourself you have friends who can help you.¡± I say to her. I notice there is a small blood stain on her cloak. ¡°Which one is the room I am sleeping in?¡± She asked so politely I cant help but point to the room assigned to us two. She quickly went up the room and entered it. I follow her in. ¡°So you going to tell me what you were doing? Your story was collecting herbs but that small blood stain on you cloak tells me it was something different. That''s not your own blood is it?¡± ¡°Damn I got sloppy, how observant the stain was very small I am surprised you noticed it. I promise you that what I was doing was for the benefit of this raid.¡± ¡°So you are not going to tell where it came from? Lara you really need to understand that I am here for you, we are very good friends. I haven''t told people your big secret, you can be honest with me.¡± I truthfully wish she would just open up a little more. ¡°Hahahaha big secret? Siena what if I told you that secret doesn''t even break my top 5 of secrets? What if I told everything you know about me is a lie? What if I was in truth I am a monster?¡± I got Lara to open up slightly but she is starting to scare me ¡°Well I know that Lara being a bad person is impossible.¡± I try to reassure her. ¡°You would be wrong, I am definitely a monster. I don''t deserve friendship. Being around me is only going to get you hurt. In fact it''s in your own best interest to stay as far away from me as possible. There is a side of me you haven''t seen before and it would scare the hell out of you as much as it scares the hell out of me.¡± She started to cry, I instinct-fully went up to hug her. What ever burdens she had to carry was truly weighing her down. I need to be here for my dear friend. I don''t want her to feel lonely anymore. I will be her pillar for times like this. I lock eyes with her to let her know that no matter what I am here for her. ¡°I will be here for you no matter what. Keep your secrets if you want but if you need someone to talk to I am here and I will help share your burden.¡± I could feel her body that was extremely tensed up earlier loosen up. ¡°Promise you wont abandon me if you know the truth? You will stay my friend no matter what?¡± She asked me with a desperate tone. ¡°I promise you I will never abandon you Lara.¡± Our eyes have yet to separate. ¡°Kara ¡­.. my real name is Kara...........Kara Rosewood. Take care of me.¡± Rosewood that is the royal family of Termain! Is Lara I mean Kara a princess?! ¡°Rosewood is that...¡± Before I could finish the sentence Kara answered my question. ¡°Yes it is as you think my father is William my mother is Ria.¡± She continued to cry and hug me for a while until she finally fell asleep in my arms. She would no longer have to fight the world by herself big sis Siena would take care of her. Raid on Atlus part 1. Saving a Princess, as a Princess Chapter 21 Raid on Atlus part 1. Saving a Princess, as a Princess All the killing and lying had finally gotten to me I finally broke down in front of my friend Siena. The final straw was when she knew I was lying because I had someone else''s blood still on me. Siena is very sharp and even though I am very good at lying she would know I was lying. I had just eliminated an entire scout team, and the last member was unfortunate to have information I needed. I know what I did to him was inhumane but when I was doing it I felt no sort of regret or mercy, the only thing I felt was exhilaration. I enjoyed seeing how far I had to go to get him to crack and tell me everything. I was way stronger then him and I did what I had to get information out of him. Afterwords I killed him to make sure he stayed quiet. I don''t feel any source of regret or empathy from anyone I have killed because I have only killed those who really deserved it or tried to hurt me or my friends. That I can deal with, the thing that really bothers me is the extent that I enjoy doing it. This sadistic gratification is unnatural and it has really been bothering me lately. Surely only a monster would enjoy inflicting suffering so much. What would Siena think of me if she saw me cutting someone up to get information I needed with a huge smile on my face. ¡°Good morning your highness.¡± Siena opened her eyes she had fallen asleep with me right next to her spooning me. I revealed my true identity of a princess to her. ¡°Please you must keep that a secret you said I could trust you.¡± I look my at my dark elf friend in the face. ¡°So why did you run away from home? Surely people are searching for you. I remember hearing about a Termainian princess with a beautiful song voice¡± I am not surprised that Siena knows this she is the gossip queen after all. ¡°Well they all think I am dead except for my sister Mandy. There was an incident where people tried to kidnap me and I escaped. Instead of returning to my family I began an adventure to seek out strength. I promised myself I would get stronger so I would no longer have to run. In hindsight that decision was extremely selfish, and has caused my family grief. Also I have changed, I have become cold and disconnected. I have done things to people who have tried to hurt me or my friends...........terrible things.¡± ¡°I know you, there is no way you can be evil. Would an evil person go and help out a caravan that was in trouble without a second thought? Would an evil person be able to brighten a room with just there smile like you do? I don''t know what exactly you have done to give you this sense of guilt but I am sure that you had your reasons to do it. Stop beating yourself up about it and move on.¡± ¡°Siena there is something important I must tell you, I am not as old as you think I am only 8 years old, after this raid I plan on leaving the city to attend Mahouren. I may even have to reveal to my family that I am not actually dead. This adventure is our last one at least for awhile.¡± I could see her expression sadden when I revealed this. ¡°8? Since when do 8 years old have these?¡± She then to my unpleasant surprise groped my breasts that were somewhere in between an A and B cup. I gasped in surprise. ¡°You know it is a capital punishment to grope a princess like that. Anyways I have always been developing several years ahead of my current age. It has to do with the immense amount of mana and psionic power held within my body.¡± I explain to her the reason for my rapid development. ¡°Anything else you want to tell me before we meet up with the others?¡± ¡°As evident with the involvement of Eclipse, this raid is a lot more important than anyone who set up it up could anticipate. If we fail a lot of innocent people will get hurt a long side or friends. We must succeed no matter what.¡± After that we both went and took a bath and got dressed. We meet up with the group to head out. The walk to entrance would be over soon. In truth I felt butterfly''s in my stomach. I had to do a lot of work to get this to this point. The real adventure was about to begin. We all were standing outside the cave our rogue mason was searching for traps but I had already taken care of them all. ¡°Weird there are dozens of traps inside but they are all disarmed.¡± Mason reported back to us. ¡°Perhaps they already sent a team in? They disabled them to avoid friendly fire?¡± The half Demon Lux suggested. ¡°Well that would make sense but why wouldn''t they leave any sort of alarm or sentry to cover there flank? It doesn''t make sense¡± Diana chimed on her thoughts. ¡°We will just have to continue with caution, perhaps the luck is on our side.¡± I say with a slight smile. The cave is very dark and several people are using light magic so we can see. We come to a split in the cave Diana takes us right after continuing for several more minutes we come to another fork this time it is 4 splits she takes us on the second from the left. Finally after following this path for a little bit we are emptied out into a large area. ¡°Careful I sense danger!¡± Lux''s battle intuition kicked in. I could feel a hostile presence too but it was different from a monster. If on queue a gigantic golem seemed to come out of the wall and start to approach us it was a level 95 and it was classified as a miniboss in its status. Several times we had gone over our combat formation. The vanguard was Rictor, Basu, and Leon they would do the primary tanking. Siena, myself, Luke, Lux and Mason would attack from the flank targeting any weak spots we could find. The rest of our group fought primary at range providing support and offense. The only exception was Landon and Calidina''s pets who fought with us in the flank group. The golem had a very predictable attack pattern and I found myself able to dodge its attacks with ease. Our tanks had taken a few hits but they were able to receive them without trouble. Unfortunately Luke got nailed with one attack and is currently getting treated by Reid for his injuries. Our attacks seem to be somewhat ineffective I can see April do some damage with ice based attacks. After several more minutes of fighting another party member gets hit by an attack this time it was Joel. The golem occasionally picks up a rock off the ground and hurls it at someone usually at range. Joel was in the middle of a cast and didn''t notice it until it was too late. He is not dead but Reid is going to really do a lot of work on him. It seems like everyone''s but me is starting to fatigue we would need to end this soon. After many attempts to find a weak spot I finally decided to create my own. I had been concentrating my attacks primarily in the middle of the golem''s back where there was a natural crack in the rock. While this is one of the hardest parts of a golem there is a good reason for it. Up to this point I had read several books that discussed golems even one that taught you how to make them. A golem core is basically it''s heart and the biggest weak spot. The problem is the core is usually protected, in this case by at least 3 feet of sold rock. The spot I was attacking now had become a large crack. I run up to the crack and use the highest ice based spell I knew icy touch a level 2 water spell. The crack is quickly filled with expanding ice when I land back on the ground I immediately jump back up and slash with my katana square on that spot and am rewarded by a huge chunk of rock breaking off from its back. We could now see the inside and core was now visible. After seeing the weakness Siena went in and performed her weapon art Piercing thrust right on the core shattering it. The golem now cut off from its magic simply collapsed like a puppet having its strings cut. We spend a couple minutes regrouping from the fight when an illusion appears before us. ¡°I welcome you adventurers, how fortunate that you arrived at this time as we are on the brink of resurrecting the god of fortune Sanite! You have demonstrated your worthiness by defeating the guardian of this entrance to the lost city. You have the chance to join us, and trust me the rewards from the god of fortune are substantial.¡± Everyone seems to be in shock. This mission was suppose to be uncovering forgotten runes so the fact that someone was already here is surprising. ¡°Phantom projection a level 6 illusion spell. Quite impressive so you are Sanite''s champion what is your name? Not everyday you get to meet a demi-god''s champion.¡± He appears human, perhaps a mage? He obviously is quite skilled level 6 illusion magic Jennifer is the only one I know who has higher illusion magic. ¡°I am Kormon, anyways I will give you guys a few minutes to consider my proposal.¡± ¡°We don''t need anytime to consider it, we refuse. We came here to find artifacts and secrets of the Karthians, not to become some pawn for the aspect of greed.¡± Diana clearly refused the offer. ¡°How........unfortunate you will regret refusing this offer.¡± With that Kormon disappeared. ¡°I didn''t sign up for this I am out¡± this was Rictor saying he was done. ¡°Same I thought these runes were undiscovered this is suppose to be a discover mission not a subjugation mission.¡± Dax added. Everyone started arguing among st one another clearly this new curveball was a lot to take in. I would have to turn on my charm. ¡°Did you not hear what Kormon said they are resurrecting Sanite. This is way bigger then a discovery mission now. We must stop this ritual from occurring if we don''t Zyrus will end up the same way as Atlus is.¡± I try to rally everyone with my words, but Rictor is unmoved. ¡°So what why should I care about Zyrus I can just move.¡± ¡°Odd I didn''t think you would be one to run from a good fight. Perhaps you are rank SS only in name?¡± ¡°That''s funny, you don''t earn double S by being a lackey. Attack me and I will show you what SS is truly made of.¡± I seemed to have struck a nerve with him.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Enough if you want to leave go ahead and do it now, this quest was suppose to be discovery with possible monster subjugation. I will make sure you get paid one way or the other.¡± Diana offered but no one ended up leaving not even Rictor. ¡°So how do we open the gate?¡± It was Calidina our summoner she was up next a stone gate that was fused perfectly into the wall. ¡°I got some explosives if you need it!¡± Grimblee said, he was to stay in the back and keep watch over our prisoner but when a situation came up where something potentially needed to be blown up he chimed right in. There was writing around the arch written in Karthian. It read '' To enter speak the word and cast it to its proper place, that which supply''s life and cuts through the darkness.'' A riddle how clich¨¦. Well this one is pretty simple the answer is the sun. The sun is a huge fireball so I just have to summon a fireball and throw it at this sun carved into this gate. Then I speak the word sun in Karthian which is Lume. While Diana is still trying to decipher the writing I go ahead and summon a mini-fireball. We don''t have time right now so I will just open it, people will probably ask questions about how I did it but I will just say it was luck. ¡°Lume¡± I say as the fireball hits the sun on the wall. This causes the whole gateway to fill up with magic and begin to open. ¡°How did you do that?¡± Diana looked at me in shock along with everyone else. ¡°Probably just dumb luck Lara does have a habit of doing stuff like this.¡± Siena stepped in and backed me up. Oddly enough most people accepted that as an explanation, I could tell that Diana as well as Lux were not convinced though. She will have to ask me later. The path down is extremely boring it is pretty much a long case of stairs going downward. The path was sort of narrow so we were all 2 by 2 going down. After a couple hours of walking we finally came to a dead end on the side of the wall there was a lever. After we pulled the lever the wall was pulled down opening the path. As we entered in from the door we found ourselves in a stone basement we took the stairs upstairs and found ourselves now in a large mansion that was truly showing its age. The front door had fallen off the hinges, we all exited the mansion and stepped out into the lost city. The city itself was a marvel, such a large city dug out of the earth centuries ago. You would think a lost city under the earth would be dark, however the opposite is true. There is a giant self containing fireball on the roof of the cave. They had even managed to create there own sun down here. The mansions around us were all large but time had taken its effect on them. There appeared to be a commercial area in front of us followed by a river that split it from a residential area with houses a lot smaller then these mansions. I followed the river with my eyes to the left and I could see a large temple laid out. Going to the right I could see a huge palace area. ¡°This the most incredible thing I have ever encountered. As a Karthian archaeologist this is....¡± before Diana can complete her sentence I had to tackle her to the ground as an arrow whizzed right by where she was standing. Luckily for her I had not let the amazement of this discovery dull my senses The assassin was long gone by the time I made it to where he had shot the arrow from. I inspected the arrow and found it was indeed poisoned with a nasty mid poison that would kill someone below level 50 most likely. Anyone else would be severely crippled from its effect. It appears that they are going to use guerrilla tactics. ¡°Hey did you guys see that lady she was standing right at the door way of that mansion?¡± This was Dax saying it. None of us had seen it but him, he decided to go and follow where the lady went without going over it with us which was into the mansion. What a fool! This is an obvious trap. ¡°You all stay here while I go and get the fool.¡± I go and leave but there is someone right next to me. ¡°Siena please I can handle this on my own.¡± ¡°I told you I was going to be there for you my lady.¡± She really is pissing me off. ¡°Shhhhh people can still hear us. Last thing I need is Reid finding out im a princess.¡± I reply in a whispered tone. As I came up the mansion something was extremely off first this particular mansion was in pristine shape there was there was even a garden that was alive and taken care of. Perhaps Dax truly did see a lady. Grena had warned me that there were many dangerous things down here besides Kormon and Grena doesn''t seem to be the type to lie about things As I stepped into the mansion I felt an sinister presence. What ever thing Dax saw definitely is not friendly. Unlike outside it is very dark in here. I slowly search around in a battle-ready stance. I went room to room looking for Dax with no success. Siena searched the other wing with no success. We both headed upstairs together. The first door I came to atop the stairs was locked. I use all my force in my foot to kick the door right where it is locked. The scene I witness is truly horrifying. Poor Dax had been seduced by a succubus. What was left of his body was a wilted husk. The succubus had drained him completely and was standing next to him. The succubus turned its attention to us. ¡°Fully draining someone of there life energy is the worst cardinal sin for your kind. In there stead I will act as your executioner.¡± I didn''t really like Dax but that didn''t mean I wanted him dead, this demon will pay for that. ¡°Such a cute little human, surprising you know about the succubus code but I haven''t followed that for centuries. I simply am here to witness a demi-god being reborn I will pledge my loyalty to him. Now I usually prefer men''s energy but you smell intoxingly delicious to me.¡± She tried to use her eye''s to seduce me but I resisted, my dear friend Siena however was not as successful. ¡°Able to resist my charm spell ho.........¡± Like lightning I had streaked by her decapitating her in one motion with Tachi. She tried to block it with her claws but they were sliced through as well I didn''t have time to play games. After slapping Siena back to reality we covered Dax''s body in a sheet and brought him back to the party. We will make sure he gets a proper burial when we get back to Zyrus. After the shock of a fallen party member the raid regrouped. There were still enemies around down here and as evident from earlier they will not hesitate to kill us. Before we could really explore we would have to care of Kormon. ¡°They are starting the ritual now, I guess I am going to die again¡± I definitely could tell the voice was close. It felt like it was coming from the temple. What did the voice mean by dying again? ¡°Something is going down at the temple we should make haste over there.¡± I say to Diana. ¡°Are you sure I was pretty sure Kormon is in the palace. What makes you think something is happening at the temple.¡± Diana asked. ¡°I cant explain it but something terrible is occurring in the temple. I will go by myself if necessary.¡± I plead to Diana. ¡°Well you haven''t led us wrong yet, and I cant have another party member go off on there own like Dax did. Lets head to the temple.¡± With that we started to head to the temple. My suspicions of something quickly are confirmed as there is a party of a dozen acolytes impeading our party. ¡°The ritual must proceed, we will keep you interlopers away while it proceeds. It shouldn''t be long now the dragon''s blood is being drained .¡± With that the clash between the two parties began. Shit I was running out of time to save the girl we would have to hurry. I noticed a spell caster in the back by the entrance to the door. I guess now is not the time to worry about concealing my shadowblade abilities. The fake sun fortunately casts a nice big shadow for me to shadowstep to. As I teleport into the new space I stab backwards right into the caster''s vertebra easily taking them out. I head to the temple door. As I enter the door I can hear a little girls cries of pain. I went up as swiftly to possible to the main altar. The scene I see is extremely disheartening, there is a little girl chained up to a post she is the same girl I had seen in my dreams. Her wrists have been cut and she is screaming in pain the blood is being funneled to a chalice close to the altar. There is 3 priest working on the ritual one is dressed in special red robes. I sprint up close enough so I can shadowstep again. Doing it again in such a sort period from my last one would cause a major penalty to the mana it would consume but right now I will just have to pay the penalty I did have a very large mana pool to draw from. After shadowstepping in I went for a quick kill on the first priest unfortunately the shadow he was casting was in front of him and he was able to jump back so my attack only wounded him. I could hear an incantation for a middle level lightning spell coming from the priest in red. I would most likely not be able to dodge it so I cast an earthen wall to protect my flank. The priest that I had wounded was now chanting a light spell likely to heal the wound I had caused. I couldn''t let that happen. I launch at the priest and attack with Tachi, the priest had a metal quarterstaff and surprisingly was able to block my blow he also was able to block my followup blow. This blow he blocks as well but he is slightly staggered and I am able to land a successful leg kick to the kidney. I slash again with Tachi and he just barely manages to cause a deadlock with his quarterstaff. I use the opportunity to grab Tanken with my offhand and stab him in chest successful hitting the descending aorta. He crumbles to the ground after losing consciousness after a few seconds. The earthen wall I had cast earlier had done its job and just now was destroyed by the other priests I go ahead and engage the red priest he like the other priest carries a metal quarterstaff and knows how to use it. I slash at him slightly enraged still from the fact that they are sacrificing a little girl for some sick end. I keep my focus though I can''t let the anger consume me. The speed of my blows quicken the red priest is able keep up albeit barely. I can hear the other non red priest start an incantation for a healing spell. Crap he is going to heal the priest I have already taken down. Fortunately I had prepped several poisoned throwing knives before we headed here to the temple. This particular poison was a fact acting and extremely painful one to endure I had made use of one of my favorite poison herbs fire poppy. While still engaged with the red priest I sheath Tanken and pull out two daggers. My throwing knife skill was now level 4 so I was able to throw 2 with one hand successfully. The daggers land home one in the shoulder and the other in the stomach. The incantation is definitely disrupted as the other priest is now crumpled in a fetal potion bellowing in agony. I continue my assault on the red priest. The red priest is very skilled at lightning magic he was able to infuse his staff with lightning and actually able to do some decent damage to me when exchanging blows. I saw his level as 74 but I think I would grade him out slightly higher. For a caster his guard is quite impressive. I try a new approach as my martial power is not enough to take him out, I use a level 2 water spell stream of water aimed right at his quarterstaff. The attack worked greatly as he damaged by his own lightning spell. ¡°Just now that spell the mana you used the energies were white. Are you the white one? I must stop you at all costs.¡± He said to me now in a very concerned voice. ¡°The white one? I don''t like that nickname, I prefer the ''The angel of Death''.¡± I look over at the girl chained up and it is extremely dire her health is approaching 0 quickly I must end this quickly. I lunge at the red priest and as I do something incredible happens. I can sense what the priest is thinking, ''She is going for a high attack I will parry high and counter low''. As I go in I change my original attack and shift it to hit him in the midsection on his offhand. The attack lands and rips through his flesh staggering him I follow up with a leg sweep tripping the priest down. I stab down with Tachi as he is laying on the ground stabbing him through the heart. The red priest gasps and quickly loses consciousness. I turn my attention to the girl who is chained up to the post I quickly slash her chains with my katana. I catch her as she falls to the ground. I quickly take out 2 high potions pouring one on to her wrists and the other down her throat somehow she is still conscious and is smiling at me. I think she is trying to say something but she is too weak right now. After a few seconds I notice that her health is still dropping but now the speed that it was dropping was a lot slower. I look at her status to see what is wrong. She is only level 30 two high potions should have been overkill. She has a very weird abnormal condition mana deficiency. Some how her mana is negative the altar somehow was draining her mana with her blood and now her mana pool was coming back to 0 from drawing from her health pool. The problem was that the health pool was extremely low. Dammit I would have a mana potions but I have yet to acquire the necessary ingredients. Giving her another high potion would have no effect. There is a cool down on drinking potions, and pouring a potion on a wound was the only way I had to sort of cheese the system. I have to find a way to stabilize her. I look on in horror as her hp slowly starts to slip away. I start to cry as I feel hopeless. ¡°If thou wishes to save her thou must form a pact with her. Pacts with dragon''s are blood pacts. Thou must share each others blood and form a bond using the traditional method. Thy will use our power to create the circle.¡± Grena said in my ears. I can feel power being channeled through me. The chalice that was filled with her blood was picked up, and then blood floated out, like there was no gravity. The blood then starts to draw a magic circle around us. The diagram that was being drawn was extremely detailed. I put my hand down on the ground and pour mana into the diagram it begins to light up. The next part of the ritual requires the exchange of blood. I do what is necessary and lick up some of her blood that was still on her body. I then bite my own lip splitting it open I lean in and kiss her letting my blood from my lip flow into her mouth. She doesn''t resist what I am doing and as the blood goes into her mouth I can feel the magic circle flare up finalizing the blood pact. I can feel my mana flow into her to stabilize her pool. It is somewhat taxing but I endure it, I have really taxed my mana pool in these recent events. A window pops up in my eyes.
Blood pact with Skyler Draken The Dragon Princess new subclass gained Dragoon new abilities unlocked
Skyler looked at me with a smile. I am pretty sure she got a window as well. She had recovered enough strength to talk. ¡°You saved my life, and now I find out that you are a princess just like me. We are now bonded for life with this pact. I may have just met you but I cant help feel a familiarity with you. Perhaps its because you fight with a katana......it reminds me of ¡­....Oh nevermind just talking out loud Kara-tan.¡± Kara-tan? Is it possible that Skyler is reincarnated too? Chapter 22 Raid on Atlus part 2. Preparing for the Assualt on the Palace Chapter 22 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spent some extra time proofreading this chapter should be more polished. As for the dialouge I am trying to keep a quick pace. I didn''t plan on this arc being near this long when I first started it just sort of happened like that. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Raid on Atlus part 2. Preparing for the Assualt on the Palace ¡°Lara what happened here? Who is this girl¡± It was Siena and the other members apparently they had just beaten the team set up to stall them and now had caught up to me I noticed that Luke wasn''t among them. ¡°I heard this girl crying they were draining her blood and mana. I was able to make it here in time to save her. It was a close call though.¡± I explain to them. ¡°That nifty teleport ability you used I have seen it before it is an assassin ability called shadowstep.¡± Lux quickly made sure she let me know that the cat was out of the bag. ¡°Yes you are right Lux, I was scared what you would all think about me if you knew the truth about my class. I thought people would dislike me for it. I am sorry for hiding that.¡± There was no sense in hiding it now. ¡°There was no reason for you to be concerned assassin''s in parties are relatively rare but not unheard, to be frank they are very useful. Being able to take out one specific target is very handy sometimes.¡± Diana consoled me ¡°Reid are you ok?!¡± Leon said in a concerned tone as Reid had collapsed to one knee. He was in the middle of healing Skyler who was still unconscious. ¡°Lady Lara an assassin? Surely this is a farce.¡± Oh this is good maybe he will leave me alone now. Leon helped him back up. ¡°This circle is for a blood-pact. This is very advanced and that marking on you hand looks like a pact brand.¡± Calidina pointed out. I guess as a Summoner she would have knowledge about pacts. ¡°I had no choice she had an abnormal condition called mana deficiency, it was draining her health and health potions weren''t enough if I didn''t pact with her she would be dead right now. Now what is this about a pact brand¡± I said kinda of in shock because sure enough there was a marking of a white and blue dragon with green eyes on my left hand and Skyler had one on her hand of white battle maiden with golden hair in the same spot on her left hand. ¡°Yes when a pact is formed there is a brand that forms on each parties bodies signifying the pact.¡± Calidina said matter-factually. While I am well versed on many thing pacts were something that I was not. I planned on getting books from the library when we got back to Zyrus because I had pacted with Grena and wanted to learn more about them..........wait a minute. ¡°So Calidina does every pact get a pact brand?!¡± I ask in a very concerned tone. ¡°Well of course, I am surprised you don''t know all this if you were able to draw such an intricate pact circle.¡± It is weird because I didn''t notice a pact brand from Grena. ¡°Thou is wondering where thou pact brand is situated. Fear not champion I placed it on thou right glute for discretion.¡± Grena communicated with me telepathically. Right glute? She gave me an ass tattoo? Well I guess atleast its not a tramp stamp but still this is very concerning. I am far too young to start tatting up. ¡°This girl seems to be fine, however her status is weird it is saying she is a dragon princess. Surely she is a human?¡± Reid said in a confused tone but everyone else went dead silent. A missing dragon princess is surely going cause trouble dragons were not the type to creatures to forgive those who would hurt there children and this girl was a princess. ¡°You know dragon''s have human forms as well as dragon forms as a matter of fact most dragon children stay in there human form until they mature.¡± April explained to Reid. ¡°Well this just got a whole lot more complicated.....¡± Diana said defeatingly. ¡°Lady Lara let me look at your injuries.¡± Reid who was done with Skyler now turned his attention to me. ¡°I told you not to call me ''Lady'' anymore. You shouldn''t have to heal much, the only one who caused damage was that red guy.¡± I let Reid do his priest thing. Diana decided to let everyone rest up for a bit I wonder how pissed Kormon is that his little sick ritual was prevented. I sit and rest to regain my mana. I had rapid mana regeneration so it wouldn''t take long. ¡°Help me¡± like I heard Skyler call out to me earlier I hear another voice. This voice was very close too like just outside the temple. I go to check it out sneaking by the other party members so they can continue to rest. Outside the temple I see a woman who is chained up to a statue. I want to go and rush up to her and release her but her voice calling out to me earlier was not the same as when Skyler called out to me it lacked the genuine feel of despair. Having witnessed and having myself experiencing true despair I wont be fooled by this imitation. I cast dispel illusion on the woman and she disappears revealing a drawn circle that I identify as space-time magic a very advanced teleport spell atleast level 6. I now use earth magic to destroy it in case anyone else isn''t as clever as me to see through the trickery. ¡°So you could see through that illusion I thought I had done a good job with it. The fact that you were drawn here means my suspicions about you are confirmed. That was a telepathic call which means you have psionic abilities. Also just a little bit ago powerful psionic force was being channeled in the church. Sanite let me know the force was familiar to him. He told me it is the same as the aspect wrath Grena the very person who defeated him centuries ago.¡± Kormon had manifested another phantom image where the trap had been set. ¡°Well if you have figured that out then you know what has to happen. We are both champions to rival demi-gods cast in a death game restarted by Lord Magnus. Why don''t we both settle this between the two of us there is no need to concern others.¡± I say very directly we have already lost 2 people and I would be able to avoid future blood shed if I can cut the head off the snake. ¡°Oh we will fight but I don''t want just pay back on Grena I want to resurrect Sanite too, and I also want you and all that you love to suffer from meddling with me. I want to see your expression as I torture and kill each of your companions one by one. Then I will take my time with you in particular. I guess I am greedy, I want it all. I have prepared a welcome party here at the palace make sure you bring yourself you are the guest of honor.¡± I think I have have upset him slightly I let out a slight giggle at his rant. ¡°What is so funny you and your companions will fail and die miserable deaths!¡± My little giggle had made him even more angry. ¡°Tehehe its just right now its you seem a lot more like the champion to the aspect of wrath then me I find irony in that.¡± With that I left to go back into the temple. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. When I get back inside I go to our enchanter Oliver I have a plan to deal with Kormon''s illusion''s and I need his help. I want him make some runes to dispel illusion''s to be carried by our party member''s. He was quite shocked when I gave him black lotus to make ink with. I had been holding on these black lotus flowers for a while now, I had want make a super poison with them but I didn''t have any of the other compounds and this was for a good cause. I go and check up with Diana I need her to support me in me leading us in the battle upcoming it is time to unleash one of my gifts. ¡°In this next battle let me take lead directing the party, you have done a good so far but in this next battle we need to take advantage of everything at our disposal. Here take my hand I am going to show you something that you must keep a secret.¡± I grab Diana'' hand and send her some information magic detailing my Blessing of the War God.
moderate boost to strength, agility, and vitality Excited during battle, increasing abilities effectiveness Gain deep understanding of tactics and strategy of battle subordinates get large boost of morale granting bonus stats and coordination
Diana looks at me in shock for the third today or maybe its the fourth time. After a few minutes after collecting her thoughts she finally gave me an answer. ¡°Lara I have no idea who you truly are. You kept the fact that you were in fact an assassin from us. You have intel that no one else has. Judging from your reaction when we met Kormon, it seemed as if you already knew he was here. You can speak and read ancient Karthian. You preformed an advanced pact ritual in the matter of minutes and in combat your strength is surreal you could easily be the best fighter in this whole party. And now you show me that you have a greater god blessing of the war god that only the greatest of war generals and warriors possess.¡± She then paused for a few seconds and continued. ¡°But even through all your secrets and lies, I know where your heart is. The heart doesn''t lie and I can tell that you deeply care about Zyrus and this party. Without you I seriously doubt we would be at this point. If you can do a better job of directing us then me then so be it. I am not so prideful that I would not take advantage of your blessing. The problem is how are we going to explain this to the others without revealing your blessing to them. There is a certain someone who will definitely take objection to you leading us in battle¡± She then looked at Rictor who was diligently sharpening his broadsword. ¡°A man like Rictor is a man that only respects strength, I will make him respect me with force if need be.¡± Diana and me gather up everyone to go over everything. ¡°The upcoming battle will test all of us. We need to use everything at our disposal and because of that particular reason I will lead us in the next battle. I happen to be a very good battle strategist and I think if I lead us we can maximize our potential.¡± I go ahead and put it out there. There is a lot of murmurs among everyone. ¡°Prove it to me as a battle strategist how would you go about defending this temple from an attack.¡± Rictor offered me a chance to show him my abilities. ¡°If an enemy was to attack this temple they would have 3 possible routes to do it. The first obvious route would be a frontal attack this would be the best outcome for us the defenders. These stairs and statues offer great strategic advantage for our ranged units as they get cover from the statues as well as the high-ground against a the enemy. If we were to knock down that huge statue to the east we would force them into a tight bottleneck. There are also several tombs in which we could hide ambush parties to harass there back lines. If they managed to make it up the front entrance the gate is made of solid granite we could construct a magic barrier preventing any earth magic on it making the enemy bash in the door with physical force a tall task. Meanwhile we have several archers and potentially boiling oil barrels ready to rain down on them.¡± I point to the barrels that are stacked up by the far side of the temple. ¡°The second route they would attack would be at our flank likely they would do it in combination of attacking the front. The back entrance is a lot easier to defend though unlike the front there is no need to cause a bottleneck since there is one naturally there is no windows or points you can enter except for a long hallway. We would reflect light down the hallway with those mirrors blinding any assualters and harassing them with arrows and offensive magic. This is the strategy I would expect to see from a decent commander.¡± I continued. ¡°Now the third possible route into this temple is not obvious. There are several fountains that are no longer running in the front courtyard. This indicates that there was a system that pumped water into them. Likely underneath us connected to the river dividing the town. I suspect there is a trapdoor probably tucked behind one of these pillars somewhere. To defend against this I would set up a trap to collapse the water tunnels on top of our intruders making use of earth magic.¡± I explain the basic strategies I would employ for each entrance. Rictor started to clap. ¡°That was good, I didn''t even think about an attack from underneath. You clearly understand strategy but do you know how to use all of us to maximize our potential?¡± He brought up a good point a good commander not only knows basic strategy he also knows his soldier''s strength''s and weak points. ¡°Well for you I would move you from vanguard to the flank group. While you make an adequate vanguard your skill-set is a lot more tuned for offense. Basu and Leon are adequate vanguards and a third one is unnecessary. If a situation arises either me or you can step up and be a vanguard in a pinch.¡± ¡°What you say makes sense I guess I will go along with it for now.¡± Rictor was on board and so was everyone else. I would get my first taste at leading a group in battle, well second if you count the time I did it in a dream. The first thing we need to set up a camp we had just rested for a little bit but more would be needed before our next battle in the palace. I am surprised out how most of these buildings are still standing and some of them are still maintained even after centuries of neglect. The mansion with the succubus was pretty much tip top shape. Staying here at the temple is would probably be the easiest but the enemy would be able to find us easy making us susceptible assassin''s like the one that tried to take out Diana earlier, traps from Kormon, or other entities like the succubus. A new camp was necessary. There looked to be an old theater not to far from the palace. It would serve nicely while we scouted out the palace. It took an almost an hour to get everyone there, this city was huge and we were carrying a prisoner and an unconscious dragonkin. Dax and Luke''s bodies were being held in Diana''s spacial ring so atleast we didn''t have to carry them too. After we got everyone in the building I had everyone rest and set up a watch cycle. I had recovered a lot by our brief rest at the temple so I would scout the palace, Melinus and Long-Fur both were willing to come with me but I convinced them that they needed rest and I could do this at little risk to me. The palace was absolutely humongous, like I thought it was big from afar but I had underestimated it. The first obstacle was a giant wall and gate. I didn''t sense any magic barrier though so that obstacle easily beaten by a tunnel underneath using earth magic. Once inside things would get much more interesting. There appears to be a garden on this part but upon using information magic many of these ''plants'' are actually plantoid monster''s all sub level 50 but there number and ability to cause status abnormalities are deeply concerning. The next level is the outer palace I assume this was where all the guests and servants stayed, finally deeper inside is the inner palace this is where Kormon was waiting for us. We would approach from the left where there was a natural ravine running to the wall that we could use for cover. I started to return back to our new camp. On the way back I got extremely lucky I was able to spot one of Kormon''s scouts who was moving about in the area. He was perched up on top of a building. I sneak up on him and quickly slip in a deep sleeper hold I make sure to fall backward to avoid a tumble off the roof of this building. I have much higher strength then him and he quickly falls unconscious. The scout is a young boy 16 years old and is only level 26. I can''t believe Kormon is using kids like this. I have to get what information I can out of this guy and then I will keep him prisoner. Based on how regretful he is I may release him later before we return to Zyrus. I have a feeling he is way influenced by greed and there is part of me that is telling me not kill him. There is another part of me telling me loose-end are bad, but I don''t listen to it. I tie him up to a big round table and wait for him to wake up. Finally he opens his eyes and begins to frantically thrash to no avail against his bounds. I tie very tight knots it is futile to try and break out of them. ¡°John Isen why did you join Kormon you are so young surely you had better option''s then this guy.¡± I ask him my first question. ¡°How did you know my name? I am not answering any questions just kill me now!¡± He very proudly proclaimed. ¡°You would die for scum like Kormon, do you realize he doesn''t care about you. I bet he doesn''t even know your name like I do.¡± I countered. ¡°You don''t know that! Anyways like I said I am not talking, if I do I wont get paid .¡± After saying this I could feel his thoughts sort of like when I was fighting the red priest. ''If I don''t get paid I wont be able to save my dad''s farm''. ¡°Ok well if you don''t want to talk. I guess you will just have to help me in another way, my training!¡± I pull out an apple and walk up to him I place the apple directly on top of his head. ¡°Ok so for this exercise I need you to keep the apple absolutely still I need to practice with my crossbow.¡± I retreat and pull out my crossbow loading it with a bolt and take aim. ¡°B.. b ..but what if you miss?¡± He asked me in a very panicked voice. ¡°Well if I miss I hopefully I don''t miss low.¡± I say to him with a smile. I can see that he is now sweating badly as I take aim. ¡°Please don''t sho.¡± Before he can finish his plead I shot the bolt directly into the middle of the apple. Some of the juice is draining down on his head. ¡°Looks like my skills with a crossbow are as good as ever. Ok now to try throwing knives!¡± I pull out a few throwing knives and begin to take aim. ¡°Stop! Ok I will talk please don''t throw them. Though I don''t know much so I doubt I will be very useful.¡± ¡°Tell me other then the gate is there any other entrance into the outer palace?¡± I ask him as I really don''t want to go through the front gate. ¡°There is a several balconies in the guest quarters overlooking the garden those are all on the far side of the courtyard though.¡± He candidly answered. ¡°What kind of security detail does Kormon keep?¡± ¡°He has atleast 10 guards outside the throne room. Inside the throne room he stays alone he doesnt like anyone to be close to his gold.¡± ¡°Anything else that could be useful?¡± I ask. ¡°He is a very skilled magician adept at space-time magic. The other day when I was going to give a report to my captain I felt a very slight magic pulse coming from the Library in the inner palace when I went to investigate it I saw Kormon step out of from a hidden room in the library behind a bookcase I think he has a teleport circle set up there, It was on the west wall under the stairs.¡± Jackpot! I got way more then I thought I would. ¡°You have been very helpful I will make sure no harm come to you as I take you back to our camp, you will be a prisoner for the time being while we go to dispatch Kormon.¡± I throw my daggers perfectly severing his bonds. Somewhat stunned he collected himself. I pull out my sword and point him forward back to the theater. ¡°May I ask your name, miss elf? I don''t think I have met such a beautiful girl before.¡± Aren''t I too young to be considered beautiful? Perhaps he is a lolicon, maybe I misjudged sparing him! ¡°Its Lara, now move we don''t have all day.¡± We continued forward back to the camp. We finally got back and people were surprised when I came back with a prisoner before I could explain the situation I got ambushed by a small girl whose strength was very misleading. ¡°Kara-tan! I am so glad you are back you had me worried sick. I wanted to go out and look for you but these people said you were scouting and were fine. I think I hurt elf-san on accident.¡± She then pointed at Melinus who was getting treated by Reid. I quickly look at Siena who is hanging her head in shame at this situation. I go up and whisper to Skyler. ¡°Please for now call my Lara, these people think I am an elf named Lara. I needed this alias to get into the adventures guild a long time ago.¡± I explain to her. ¡°Ok Ka....Lara anything for my wife!¡± Wait wife?! ¡°Wife? What do you mean by that?¡± I ask her this is news to me. ¡°Well in dragon tradition once a dragonkin makes a pact with a someone, that person and dragon are forever linked. The dragon and their dragoon are effectively spouses to the eyes of the dragon community. Since you are my spouse, and you are a girl that makes you my wife!¡± She gleefully proclaimed. ¡°But we are both girls doesn''t that cancel out the married part?¡± I ask her trying to find my way out of this situation I find myself in. ¡°Nope! It does not, in fact same gender couples are common among dragonkin.¡± She added. I really don''t know how I am going to explain this to dad. Atleast I married fellow royalty right? ¡°Surely blood-pacts are extremely rare dragon-kin aren''t the type to mingle with others. How can you be so sure on the way the dragons treat a blood-pact.¡± I ask. ¡°Hmm what you say is true. I am just going off the story I was told as a little welpling of a dragon-princess and a her dragoon. They were both girls and fought off the demon invaders who were trying to take over Dragnor.¡± She explained. ¡°Well we will figure all this out when we return you to your family. Right now there is a menace that needs to be taken care of the one who tried to kill you, and tried to make Zyrus fall into greed. I need you to stay here with Diana, Siena and Grimblee. Grimblee I want your biggest bomb I have use for it.¡± I look at Grimblee. ¡°Anything for the wielder of Tachi and Tanken!¡± He proudly said. ¡°Oh hell no. I am going with you.¡± Oddly enough both Siena and Skyler said the same exact thing at the same exact time. ¡°Please Siena you are the only one I can trust to keep Skyler safe. Your skills are extremely good at protecting someone. Skyler even as a dragon-kin you are far to weak for this battle. You would only slow us down. If you want to help keeping yourself safe is going to help me a lot. Diana is here to help too. She knows the way back out if you need to escape.¡± I explained to them in a very serious tone. ¡°I am not weak! Let me fight besides you!¡± Skyler said pridefully. ¡°Skyler please I am very good at reading people''s abilities I know for your age you are very advanced but you are only level 30 all these guards are going to be level 60s to 70s. Kormon himself is probably level 80ish. There is a difference between being brave and being a fool please for me stay here.¡± I ask her very politely. ¡°Ok but you will owe me one favor now wife! If you get hurt I will really rip who ever hurt you into tiny little pieces.¡± Oh no I think Skyler might be a yandere. I then look at Siena. ¡°You alright with this Siena?¡± I ask her seriously. ¡°Nope but you are leading us right now and I always follow orders. Don''t worry though I will get you back for this later.¡± She said very sinisterly. What did she have planned? What favor would I owe Skyler? Shit maybe I should just disappear after this mission! I gather up everyone who was going with me to the palace. I give a little pep talk before we begin the operation. ¡°A lot of people think that adventurer''s are just glorified mercenaries. I would beg to differ. A mercenary does his work only for the gold. For a true adventurer the gold is just the icing on the cake, the adventure itself is the reward. To be able to explore places few people have before, to enjoy the companionship of your fellow adventures, to keep small and large towns free of monsters, and to be able to find worthy opponents who push the boundaries of your abilities. This is what an adventurer is truly about. This man Kormon is a champion to the aspect of greed, if we don''t stop him this very city we are in right now will be exactly how our home Zyrus will become abandoned.¡± ¡°So please whether you fight for the gold, the fame, for other people, or simply to be able to engage strong opponents. Please remember we are a team and as long as we fight as one we can overcome any hardship or opponent¡± Chapter 23: Raid on Atlus part 3: The Gardens of the Emerald Palace Chapter 23 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday season. This arc is winding down, and I am trying to involve as many people in the raid party as possible. As some of these relationship''s formed in this raid will have long lasting implication''s. Please enjoy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Raid on Atlus part 3: The Gardens of the Emerald Palace The moment was finally upon us, in the next few hours we would fight to take the emerald palace of the lost city that was taken over by Kormon and his forces. I have assumed a position as the party leader, to take advantage of my Gift of the War God. We leave camp that we had set up in the abandoned theater. We are leaving several of our member''s to keep the Dragon princess safe. Both Siena and Skyler were not to pleased that I wanted them to stay back. Though my motivation''s were selfish, the logic behind them were sound. ¡°Everyone please we want to go unnoticed as long as possible try to make as little noise as possible as we approach the wall.¡± I lead everyone out into the streets as we travel two by two across the lost city. The wall totally encompasses the palace and would be very difficult to scale. Upon scouting it earlier I came to the conclusion that we could easily tunnel underneath it. Our route would take us to the left side of wall . I picked this route for two reasons. First there is a natural ravine on this side where the stone ground ended and met up with the side of cave that held this huge city. The second reason is because this route would take us closer to the balconies were are going to enter the outer palace with. After traveling up this ravine for several minutes I found a nice spot to tunnel in. I had April do it because her earth magic was slightly stronger then mine. It took her several casts but she finally was able to create a big enough tunnel for us to fit through. Such a massive gate bypassed with a simple level 3 earth spell, magic is surely amazing. I suspect there probably was a magic barrier when this wall was in use centuries ago. We quickly passed through on to the other side. The scene that appeared before us when we entered the was sort of astonishing. From afar I could only tell there was a vast garden with trees and shrubs mixed in too but up close it was more like a forest. It was simply beautiful and one could easily get distracted by it, I knew better though. ¡°Everyone straighten up there are several monsters mixed in with these plants dont let this place''s beauty lull you from paying attention.¡± I tell everyone in a serious tone as a I bisected a plant monster I had detected hiding among the other plants. ¡°They might not be a high level but they can poison, paralyze and sleep you and we want to conserve our antidotes and Reid''s mana as much as possible¡± I reiterate the message to stay on your toes here. For several minutes we fight these plant monster''s as we head close to the path that loops around these gardens. We avoid members getting effected by status impairments as I can spot the monster''s very easily and they all get 1-shot by our attacks. As we empty into the path I notice a shade of orange in the grass close to Reid. I don''t hesitate and quickly slash it. It was a snake with black and orange stripes likely poisonous and it was going to bite Reid, my quick response avoided a potential crisis. It was targeting our healer in particular coincidence or is it something else? I pick up the snake''s body and inspect it, it is a Death Serpent. It is similar to a coral snake from my old world, but the poison causes cardiac arrest almost immediately. ¡°I now owe my lady another life debt!¡± Reid seemed happy about this for some reason. Doesn''t he realize that he almost just died? ¡°Reid don''t worry about it. Its my job to make sure everyone stay''s safe. Now Landon correct me if I am wrong but this is indeed a Death Serpent? What would it be doing all the way down here.¡± ¡°Aye you have a keen eye. There is something odd about it though the body has a weird marking on it, perhaps it is a familiar.?¡± Landon suggested but I quickly refuted the notion. ¡°When a familiar dies it returns to the astral realm for a time to recover then it can be summoned again. ¡° I quote one of the books I had read about familiars. I was researching them because at Mahouren first years all get a chance to enter the astral realm and pact with a familiar. ¡°You are quite knowledgeable about the arcane miss Lara. It is true this snake is indeed just a Death serpent, however this marking is a sigil of some kind. Perhaps Oliver would take a look at it.¡± Calidina looked at Oliver who was halfway up a tree and still climbing after the snake tried attacking. ¡°Did I mention I hate snakes! Do I really have to?¡± Oliver pleaded to us. ¡°It is dead and I was wondering why it was able to target Reid in particular it is almost like it was being controlled.¡± I pick up the body and show Oliver the sigil on it. ¡°You sure its dead?! Well I guess it is decapitated so it cant bite at least. Let me look at this marking. ¡° Upon looking at it Oliver looked extremely disgusted and it wasn''t his fear of snake causing it. This was something else. ¡°That is a command sigil, it is forbidden art of enchantment. It allows a caster to have control over a living being against there will.¡± He explained that the snake was indeed being controlled. We continue down the path at very slow pace. I entered through this way to be sneaky but the enemy was already aware of our presence and had made an attempt to attack us. This is not going as I planned it but we still can accomplish our goals here. After several minutes of no action we come to a point where the path opens up wide creating a large clearing and in the center is very large tree . I don''t like this place what so ever. ¡°Hold¡± I say just audible enough for everyone to hear. ¡°You don''t like this either huh. Perfect place for an ambush.¡± Lux says to me while I look everywhere for enemies. ¡°Proceed carefully I don''t see anything but that doesn''t mean there not somewhere hiding.¡± I order the group forward. It was dead silent as we went forward down the path. As we neared the tree I noticed a familiar marking carved into it. It was the command sigil that the snake also had on it but why would a giant tree need that its not living.....wait a second. I use analyze on the tree.
Status Window
Name:Oakheart of the ForestTitle:The Forest Guardian Race:TreantGender:N/A
Class:TreantSubclass:Age:3825Level:112
Titles
Resources
Health:85,000/85,000Mana:10,000/10,000Stamina:32,000/32,000
Stats
Strength:810 Intelligence:755Agility:30 Charisma: 515
Wisdom:650Precision/aim:65Vitality:4,500Luck:82
¡°Fall back! Now!¡± I order the group. As we turn around I could hear the sound of tree branches swooshing around. ¡°I am sorry young creatures, I am not in control of myself. I have been tricked into being enslaved by this foul magic. Please run away before you get hurt!¡± Oakheart said as he stuck one of his arm branches into the ground. I could feel the ground begin to shake. As our party went to leave, the exit was completely blocked off by a wall of vines. I slash at the vines with my katana and the vines I severed were almost instantly replaced by new ones. I cast a level 3 fire attack flame pillar and while the damage to the vines was more substantial, the destroyed vines are once again almost instantly replaced. It looks like we are going to have fight the treant after all. ¡°Battle formations! I want Basu on point, your defense relies on dodging and this guys main attacks are vine snares Leon play a support role for now everybody else keep moving at all times if this guys snares you, you will be incapacitated. Oliver tell me everything you know about this sigil something tells me you didn''t tell me everything earlier when I showed you the snake.¡± I give out some more orders and asked Oliver for more information. Killing a a Treant of this power is surely within our potential but perhaps we can find a way to free him from this magic saving us from expending too much of our strength and potentially gaining an asset. ¡°Was it that obvious that I knew more? You are very good at reading people Lara. I am actually very familiar with this sigil, it is after all my design.¡± Oliver said looking at the treant in a very sad expression. ¡°Your design?¡± I ask in a very surprised voice I had a feeling he knew more but this was most unexpected. ¡°Yes, though when I designed it I never actually thought it would be used. It was an assignment from my former mentor Mazasius. He wanted to adapt the sigil for golems to be usable on living beings on a conceptual level. He promised me that it would never actually be put in use. I was a talented and naive apprentice and he used me to help him create this taboo enchantment.¡± Oliver continued to explain.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I had recently graduated at Mahouren Academy and Mazasius was my instructor in my enchantment course. He took me on as an apprentice in the research department. Back then he was everything I aspired to be. I truly looked up to him back then. All was well until one day we got our hands on an artifact that changed everything. It was a Karthian Golem that was uncovered by our archaeology expert at Mahouren, someone you are very familiar with, Diana Jones. It changed the whole way we thought about the art of control enchants. This very artifact caused Mazasius to go mad.¡± ¡°After my conceptual sigil was found to work on a mouse. Mazasius quickly went ahead and used it on one of my colleagues in secret after using a sleep potion on them. She was very dear to me and that bastard used forbidden magic on her that he had me design. He used another enchant to keep her from telling everyone what was happening. By a fluke the sigil was spotted by Elise the headmaster at Mahouren. After tracing the magic back to Mazasius they sent a team of templars and palidins to apprehend him for performing a forbidden art, however they underestimated his power and they were defeated and Mazasius disappeared from Mahouren without a trace. In shame that I had helped him accomplish such a horrible feat I resigned from Mahouren and began adventuring to escape my past.¡± Oliver concluded his explanation. ¡°So if we destroy that sigil would we free them from this magic?¡± I ask Oliver. ¡°Yes if you destroy the sigil it will free them from the spell, however just as with a golem destroying this enchant will also kill them.¡± Oliver began to cry. I can put 2 and 2 together obviously his friend that Mazasius had put the sigil on had her sigil destroyed. ¡°So is there no way to free those affected by this spell without killing them?¡± I ask curiously. ¡°There is two way they can be free from the spell. First if the caster releases them from it. Also if the caster is killed that too would have the same effect.¡± Oliver states. Is that really it? I haven''t read a lot about enchanting but I do remember one thing that in this case could potentially be very useful and in fact I had Oliver make use of this aspect of enchanting earlier. Most runes and enchants add an effect on something or perform a spell that was inscribed to it. However some runes were crafted to nullify other magics, such as with the runes I made Oliver make to counter Kormon''s illusion magic. Or the runes that Oliver sets up to create a magic barrier. These are called counter runes. ¡°Perhaps we can create a counter rune specific to the command seal on the treant? I dont see any reason it wouldn''t work in theory¡± I ask Oliver. ¡°I can''t believe I overlooked such a possibility! You are absolutely right Miss Lara, perhaps you have the potential to excel in enchantment. It will take me several minutes to draw an adequate design.¡± Oliver seemed excited and began drawing out a design on a parchment heavy with ink. The fight had just started, our objective was two fold first we needed to protect Oliver as he came up with a counter rune design, second we needed to keep the treant slowed down but also avoid destroying the sigil. Rictor however must have missed the whole avoid the sigil part because he was targeting the sigil in particular. The sigil was however protected by thick vines that deflected his attacks. ¡°Rictor I told you to simply slow down the Treant and avoid the sigil.¡± I yelled at Rictor. ¡°It is not in my nature to avoid my enemies weaknesses. Why are we bothering saving this piece of lumber? I didn''t peg you as one to care about things like this. You would risk our lives to save him?¡± Rictor had a point. Maybe I had gotten too soft, I usually am much more cold and calculating. However there is also a part of me that dates back to my day''s as Taiko though, and that is the gambler part of me. I think I get it from my grandpa as he use to set up illegal Hanafuda games from time to time at the dojo and I would sometimes weasel my way into them. His favorite slogan when playing was ''With great risk, comes great reward.'' ¡°The sigil is the most protected part of him, unless we all focus our attacks on it we will have little success targeting that. Once Oliver gets this sigil drawn all we have to do press its on his body and that''s it. Please trust us we have better understanding of this sigil then you do.¡± I was able to reign in Rictor. As we continued fighting everything seemed to be going fine. People who got snared were quickly freed and Basu was doing great as vanguard he had dodged everything thrown at him so far. All of a sudden though Oakheart stopped attacking. He instead began chanting something in a weird language I recognized as sylvan. I was able to decipher the meaning of the chanting because of my gift. ''All living things must return to the earth so it can be reabsorbed and reused to begin new life. Decomposing winds I beckon you, come and speed this process!¡±. As soon as I heard Decomposing Winds I recognized it as a level 6 hybrid spell of wind, death, and nature magic. This is big trouble! ¡°Everyone stack up on Oliver now! April and Joel grab my hands we are going to pour all our power into one Earthen Wall, there is a very powerful spell incoming.¡± Everyone quickly stacked up and we wasted no time chanting an Earthen Wall spell. ¡°Earth that nourishes me, I ask for your assistance, shelter me from harm, become my shield. Earthen Wall protect me!¡± We all said in a unison as we poured our power into one spell. A very impressive earthen wall shot up from the ground. No sooner did we put up the wall a monstrous gust of wind crashed into the wall like a tidal wave against a large boat. An extremely disgusting smell filled the whole area, the smell of rotting life. A few member ended up throwing up from the smell. I wont point fingers but it was Oliver, April and Leon. Fortunately Oliver managed to throw up away from the parchment he was working on. The winds only lasted like 10 seconds but it seemed like hours. The wall we had put up which was at least 6 feet wide and 10 foot tall had been eroded to a under one foot wide and and only 6 foot tall wall. Insane anything caught out in that would have been completely eroded. As we left the wall the scene in front of us was extremely disturbing all the plant life in this clearing had been completely decomposed to dirt except for the grass that we had stacked up on. We quickly learned that the spell had a second effect as everywhere little sprouts began to pop up. Oakheart began to chant another spell in Sylvan this one was a hybrid both water and holy magic. ¡°Water is the nectar of life, all that lives relies on it. Blessed mother grant this rain with your spirit to speed growth and recovery. Revitalizing rain pour down on us.¡± Oakheart chanted. Revitalizing rain was a level 5 hybrid spell. ¡°Leon use your shield to cover Oliver''s work.¡± I ordered Leon. The rain that came was light and began to heal our whole party of both health and stamina. Why would he cast a spell that benefited us? Wait! The sprouts are beginning to grow rapidly! ¡°We got adds coming in! Slice down as many as possible before they sprout¡± I said and everyone looked at me weird. ¡°Whats an add?¡± Asked Landon and I could tell he wasn''t the only one confused. I guess I am the only here familiar with rpg termonology. ¡°Fine we have ADDitional monsters sprouting up.¡± I said as I began slicing sprouts at a rapid pace. Our whole party began to focus on destroy the sproutlings. We were able to only eliminate half of them before they sprouted all the way. The sproutling were all level 50 but there number was vast there was at least 50 of them. ¡°Leon you stay and guard Oliver, Basu you stay vanguard against the treant. The rest of us need to destroy these sproutlings. Oliver how soon before you are done these sproutlings are going to be an issue.¡± I say. ¡°Just a little bit more, I am almost done.¡± Oliver said. The fight that seemed controlled earlier was now chaotic. The vines from earlier that were kept at bay by our damage group were now running rampant as we dealt with the sproutings. I had already had to free several people from the vines and the damage they took from the saplings while being restrained was decent enough where they had to fall back to Reid for recovery. At this pace we were falling behind and would soon be overrun by sproutling we needed this rune to be done. ¡°Ok its done. Here come and take it Lara!¡± Oliver got up and began to run it to me he was oblivious of the vine that was between us and it quickly wrapped around his legs causing him to trip and the page flew out of his hand floating up in the wind. I could see the rune perfectly and I went to grab it from the air but as I did another several vine flew out and shredded the page completely. Who ever was controlling the treant was obvious aware that the page was very important. ¡°So can we just kill this guy now? Plan A failed its now time for plan B¡± Rictor said. ¡°I am so sorry because of my carelessness another has to die. It is all my fault.¡± Oliver began to weep again. I had gotten a very good look at the rune and I somehow I remembered exactly what it looked like. I could see it clearly in my head like a photograph.
Champion of Grena First Limiter lifted Ability unlocked: Grena''s perception -photographic memory -ability ¡°Clairevoyant reflexes'''' unlocked -Clairevoyant reflexes: Gain keen awareness and perception of things before they happen. Spends psionic power per second used.
¡°No! I am going to opt for plan C! I am going in to free this guy no matter what!¡± I use my new ability given though Grena as well as shadowdance which is a shadowblade class skill and Blood of the Dragon which I just unlocked by becoming a dragoon. All three in combination boost my stats tremendously but drain my stamina, mana, and psiosonic power rapidly. Perfect with these buffs I have capped my precision stat at 100. That will let me accomplish what I am about to attempt. I launch at Oakheart. Everything seemed to be in slow motion I can see everything perfectly as vines come in rapidly but I easily dodge and slice my way through with ease. To me it almost felt like I was walking but in real time I must have looked like a blur of light. The adds now are all focusing on me but it doesn''t matter I can see everything right now. I slide through them as well as I continue my dance forward. As I get up to close to Oakheart he swings his large branch at me to smash me and I dodge it easily and stab Tanken into the branch and the branch pulls me up on the upswing of the attack. I use the momentum to acrobatically pull out Tanken and land my feet on the branch and continue my push forward. Now up on the tree I run up the branch towards the main tree. I jump up and use gust of wind a level 1 wind spell to propel me forward to the backside of the tree. There are two big branches defending the back and countless vines. As I land on one branch of said branches guarding the back I easily slash it away with my trusty Taichi. I shadowstep towards the second branch and jump up cutting that branch away as well going for style points with a spinning slash attack. I shadowstep again this time to the trunk and run up the side of it with a sudden burst of agility like a ninja. About 6 feet up the trunk I stab into the trunk with Tachi and begin to run around cutting in a perfect replica of rune I saw drawn by Oliver and also at the same time I slash away and cast several spells at the countless vines and sproutlings all trying to stop me from drawing the rune. In a matter of seconds I finish the task however to me it seemed much longer. I finish the design by pouring a large amount of mana into it powering it up. The command rune in the front that was lit up with magic not a few seconds ago faded out. The sproutlings stopped moving and planted themselves in the ground, they had just become regular saplings now. ¡°I have regained control! You have managed to lift this magic off me that was placed by wicked man who carried a lunar staff made of goldwood.¡± Oakheart said as he retracted all the wines that were seconds ago attacking us. ¡°That is without a doubt Mazasius''s staff, never thought I would run into him down here but this is great I have a score to settle with him.¡± Oliver said with a big smile on his face. I am happy that it turned out this way, had my plan not worked we would be having a lot less happy conversation right now. ¡°Young girl I must thank you for sparing my life when it perhaps would have been easier to just kill me. Your display of martial power was astounding one could almost mistake for the a summoned hero. I get the feeling you are not even close to the limit of your potential. Your strength will be needed to fight the blight that has been festering down here. There is a powerful mage in control and his right hand is an enchanter that is almost as strong as him, the one who enslaved me.¡± Oakheart looked at me with a giant smile. ¡°Guardian of the forest, I Lara am in charge of this group of adventurer''s I must apologize the reason for my aid was selfishly motivated. I would like to add you as a friend in this fight I know you cant enter the palace but if you can help keep all the plants from attacking us and give us an escort to our destination I would be most overjoyed.¡± I said in my most charming voice. ¡°Both extremely charming and equally as deadly. You would make a great Warlord, I will give you escort to your destination. The plants speak to me and I can tell where traps have been laid.¡± Oakheart began to trudge forward. The rest of our journey through the gardens consisted of Oakheart telling the story of how he was tricked by Mazasius and how the forest had become a lot more corrupt lately and the arise monsters in the forest as well as several necromancers taking up domains there. Before we knew it we had arrived at the balconies in the back of the palace. ¡°I shall renew your strength for you had to expend it in our battle.¡± Oakheart then cast revitialing rain once again. He then picked each of us up one by one and set us on one of the balconies. I was the last one. He picked me up and brought me close to him. He talked to me in a whisper. ¡°As a guardian of the forest I can tell you are no elf, however I can tell that you posses great affinity to magic of all elements none the less. Your skill with a blade are tremendous but against the two foes before you will require more then just your martial talents, you will need all of your strength including your powerful albeit novice power of the arcane. A great friend of mine long ago an arch-mage bestowed upon me his staff. A seer had told him that I would encounter one whom would need its power, this was dozens of centuries ago. He said I would know the one who would need it when they crossed my path and I have finally found that person. It is you young Lara.¡± Oakheart smiled at me as he thought about the promise he had made a very long time ago with his friend. ¡°It is very fortunate that its presence slipped by my enslaver. I will chalk this all up to fate. Please let this staff aid you on your quest. I give you the staff of my former friend Jayce Banth, the Sidhe Staff.¡± Jayce Banth the founder of Mahouren Academy?! Also I reckonized that name Sidhe Staff. It is a legendary staff last used by the founder. It is familiar to me because just as with Excalibur the Sidhe Staff had ties to King Arthur''s lore in my old world as Taiko, it is in fact Merlin''s staff. Oakheart''s trunk began to have its bark peel back and then some of his wood started to peel back as well. Inside was a gorgeous staff made with willow wood and a huge blue stone emanating extreme magical power. I hesitatingly grabbed it and the staff light up as it linked with my mana flow in my hand. Just as with my ring in the assassin''s guild the light became so bright that it became blinding to everyone who was watching. After reaching its apex of brightness the stone dimmed back down to much more manageable glow. ¡°Excellent the staff accepts you as it''s owner, I am glad the alternative didn''t happen.¡± Oakheart says as I look marveling the staff''s beauty ¡°Why what would have been the alternative?¡± I ask sort not wanting to know the answer but Oakheart gave it to me anyways. ¡°Well the worst outcome would have been you dying but I knew from the start you were the one for this staff so there was never any risk. Anyways you must go your companion''s are looking impatient over there¡± Oakheart tried to reassure me. ¡°Ok, if you want to help us from you could go and help guard my companion''s they are staying in the largest building over the wall directly in that direction. They are Diana, Skyler, Grimblee, and Siena. I promise none of them bite except for Skyler¡± I would feel a lot more comfortable with a treant helping defend the other party members. ¡°It would be my honor. Please succeed in your mission a lot rides on you and your companion''s¡± With this Oakheart dropped me off with my companion''s. Step one was complete and we even gained a valuable friend, and new weapon. I was ready to take down any obstacle in my path Mazasius and Kormon wont stop me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mazasius POV This is bad the little girl and her companion''s were able to survive the gardens, I now have to give the bad news to my Master Kormon. ¡°That girl and her companions succeeded in defeating the Treant I had set up to crush them. We lost track of them in garden''s somehow all our wards we placed were destroyed but they will be forced to travel through the servant''s corridors and then through the Emerald stairway onto there way to the inner palace. I also have all sorts of pawns hidden in the servant''s quarter''s.¡± I report to Kormon ashamed that the first piece fell not in our favor. ¡°I want you to personally defend the Emerald Stairway. Make sure that you don''t kill the girl, I don''t care about her friends though.¡± Kormon said to me he didn''t seem all that surprised like I was that they succeeded in freeing the treant I of course left the ''freed him'' part out in my report. Who would have thought that my former apprentice would be in the raid party and that girl was so talented that she was able to engrave a counter rune she had only seen once with a sword while dodging hundreds of vines and sapplings. Hopefully Kormon will let me engrave a command sigil on her she would make a powerful asset. ¡°It would be my honor, the emerald stairway has never been breached even when this palace was in normal use. I don''t plan on letting that change.¡± That girl is strong! I haven''t had a worthy opponent in some time. This will be very enjoyable. Lets see what you are truly made of Champion of Grena! Chapter 24 Raid on Atlus Part 4: The Outer Palace Chapter 24 Raid on Atlus part 4:The Outer Palace ¡°Lara is that what I think it is! It looks exactly the same to one held by the huge statue at Mahouren!¡± April couldn''t hide her excitement. She obviously recognized the staff. ¡°Perhaps it is just a cheap imitation, I cant refute the resemblance though.¡± Joel added. ¡°There is only one way to find out Lara cast a spell and see how much it is amplified by the staff. Cast a level 1 fireball for us.¡± Oliver asked. ¡°Ok? I call upon the eternal flame inside of me, scorch my enemies. Fireball!¡± I went ahead and used an incantation for aesthetics sake. Casting with a staff felt really different then what I have done before, I could feel the mana pool up from my hand into my staff. After being completely filled the staff launched my spell at my target with scary accuracy. Not only does it amplify you spell but it also increases your accuracy dramatically. The level 1 fireball attack that in the past was around quarter a meter wide without the staff was now I would say atleast 2 meters diameter. I had aimed it at the doors at the end of the balcony. I was sure us being around 10 meters away from it would have been safe distance but I was wrong we all got knocked on our butts from the explosion. The wooded doorway was completely gone and all that was left was the stone archway that had held the door. ¡°To think that I would encounter the Sidhe staff. Surely Lara needs to become a mage now. You are holding one of the most powerful staff''s in existence. I suggest you become an elemental mage, so we can become twinsies!¡± April then hugged my right arm and her breasts hugged them too. Not that I minded. ¡°I seen your eyes when you casted that fireball. Those eyes had the excitement of a destruction mage.¡± Joel added. ¡°Guys obviously Lara is going to become an enchanter did you see her draw that rune on the treant earlier?¡± Oliver now was fighting over me too. This had to stop we had a mission on our hands still. ¡°Calm down, I don''t even know if I can become a mage I already have a class and two subclasses. Isn''t the limit on sub-classes two?¡± I say trying get everyone to chill out. ¡°Not necessarily, that limit is only on combat classes, so a person for example could be battle-mage as a main class and then as subclasses he could be a fighter, rogue, and as a third non combat class he could be a blacksmith. Also you could always drop one of your classes to get a new one.¡± Oliver explained. ¡°So does bard count as a combat class? I can use it in a fight.¡± I am now curious. ¡°Lady Lara is a bard? How I would love to hear her sing¡± Reid had already forgotten that my main class was actually an assassin type class. ¡°Even though it''s benefits can be used in a fight bard does not count as a combat class. So you could potentially pick up one more sub-class. Also I agree with Reid I would love to hear you sing I had no idea you were a bard. Knowing you I am sure you are extremely good, miss perfect.¡± Oliver said to me ¡°Would you stop the whole mage chit-chat thingy? We have a mission to complete. Anyways Lara is a natural born fighter. Her skill''s with a blade are the real deal. She is second only to me with them. She shouldn''t waste her talents as a cowardly mage who fight''s from the rear.¡± Rictor brought us back into focus. I cant worry about a potential third subclass, hell I know very little about my second subclass dragoon. ¡°Right we need to refocus. I need Long-fur and Melinus to take point with me, it is very dark in here and we can see better then the rest of you.¡± We all very cautiously proceed forward. These quarters belong in a scary movie. Every room the furniture has either been burned or torn up. There are arrows and weapons scattered everywhere and also chunks of bone that had yet to decompose all the way. I am guessing that the servants tried revolting against the king during Magnus''s game centuries ago and were swiftly dealt with by the guard. So much death here we need to get out of this damned place. We kept a brisk pace, it seemed I wasn''t the only one who wanted no part in staying in this place which pretty much is a tomb but the place was not small and we had no map or diagram to direct us. We came up to a large dinning area that was thoroughly trashed as well. However something extremely bothersome was here. On the main table there was a corpse dressed in the same garb that the previous group of fighters wore, this guy was one of Kormon''s lackey''s. ¡°Cover me while I go and look over this corpse.¡± I ordered the group. As I came up to the corpse I quickly noticed that the body was almost like a husk, his blood had been completely drained from him. On his nape was an all too familiar wound, bite marks. We are dealing with vampires here. Vampires are powerful and have only a few weaknesses. First obviously light does major damage to them if there skin is exposed to it. Second they are very weak against holy magic. The whole silver weapon thing was partly true, but you could still slice vampires with good weapons. ¡°Stay sharp, vampires¡± I go ahead and warn the group. ¡°Vampires we must cull them from this world!¡± Leon perked up after hearing about the vampires. ¡°We are not going out of our way to hunt them down, but if come across them surely a fight will happen.¡± I let Leon know I am not going to risk the party to fulfill his holy crusade. We continue on. As we head forward I can feel a familiar sensation the feeling of a magic barrier. Thankfully I am still using Zyra''s fake ears. ¡°Magic barrier make sure if you are using a spacial ring. You take out anything you might need in a fight. Mages if a fight breaks out make sure to fall back here since you wont have anyway to protect yourselves in the barrier. Oliver can you tell me anything specifically about this barrier?¡± I say to the party. ¡°It is definitely all-element barrier atleast level 7, since I can''t do a level 6 spell inside it. I am guessing there is a very high powered rune in that direction¡± Oliver stated and pointed in the direction we were headed. ¡°Let''s go.¡± I ordered now constantly in a battle-ready stance. The hallway ended with a large gate. I got everyone into position around the door in case we had an encounter on the other side. Slowly I pushed the gate open. On the other side of the gate was large opening I could see training dummy, bulls-eyes targets, an assortment of wooden weapons laying around and a large sparring ring. This was a training area for the soldiers. On the opposite side of where we were there was another gate this one was made of metal. To the sides are stone walls. Conscious that this area was fairly wide open, ideal for an ambush I pushed out slowly looking everywhere for potential ambushers. After none popped out I felt relieved because a fight right now against vampires with no ability to use holy magic would be unfavorable. We got up to the metal gate and tried opening it but it was sealed shut. ¡°Oh great a dead-end, what are we going to do now there is now way we are opening this gate without magic.¡± Joel pessimistically stated. ¡°Mason what kind of lock is this? Is there anyway to open it?¡± I ask our rogue this is the reason we brought him he is an expert at getting inside of locked door, chests, and other people''s coin purses. ¡°Open this? This door is using a deadbolt at the top. All we have to do is somehow get someone inside and there is a lever you can pull down to open it. The hard part is figuring out how to get someone on the inside without using magic. The only window I see is three stories up in that far right corner and is way to tiny to fit a grown person in.¡± He pointed up at a small circular window that had long been busted open. He was right it was small but I think that I would be small enough to do the trick. ¡°Ok Leon you have the most experience fighting vampires so I am leaving you in charge here while I go and try to open this door.¡± I say to the paladin. ¡°But Lara how are you going to get up there? I have some rope if you need even then it might be to small for even you to fit through.¡± Mason genuinely stated. ¡°I eye balled it I am fairly sure I can get through anyways keep your rope this is easy¡± I say to Mason as I started looking at the window studying the area visualizing the way I would scale the wall. I start a brisk jog towards the adjacent stone wall of the window. About 10 feet away from the wall I burst into a full sprint and launch myself as high vertically as possible. Using my feet I propel myself up even farther and I grab in between the gaps in the stone. It is definitely not ideal and I have to use a lot of my grip strength to hold my self up. I quickly get my toes into cracks at my feet for some support. Now with my feet helping I scale up even higher using the small cracks in between the stones. I push myself up to the same level as the window. Unfortunately the wall with the gate isn''t like this stone wall there is no cracks or places to grab into except for the window itself but that was out of my reach. I take a big breath and focus. If I mess this up it is going to hurt really bad! I push up a little bit higher up with my legs putting me above the window. I then pull my legs up so they are even with my abdomen. Now with legs in position, I let go with my hands and at the same time push as hard as possible with my legs. I reach you with my left hand to secure a grip on the window. The stress of having all my weight supported by just a few of my fingers after taxing them with my ascent is quite painful, perhaps next time I will use the rope. I pull myself up after getting my right hand on the window as well. I fit through the window with just a few inches to spare. ¡°Wow she made that look easy, I bet she is a great assassin. She does bear some resemblance to the infamous Angel of Death do you guys think perhaps that is her?¡± Lux asked. ¡°While the hair is fairly similar there is one stark difference. The angel of Death is human from depictions, Lara is elven. At any rate I wouldn''t want to get on the bad side of either of them.¡± Mason replied to Lux''s observation.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I pulled myself up through the window, the room I entered was some sort of office. The furniture had deteriorated bad and the whole place smelled of rot. I stealthily began to trot forward, into the hallway. The hallways here in the barracks were not any less creepy then the servants quarters. I need to find that release lever for the gate as soon as possible. However my attention was drawn to one of the side rooms I could hear several people arguing. There was a small hole in the ground and I could look through it. ¡°You selfishly went and drank that gift from Mazasius dry. That was suppose to be for all of us. You are taking advantage of being in charge Ivan.¡± It was about 5 vampires 4 of them were level 60s the leader was 75. ¡°I am in charge because I am the strongest. Want to be in charge, simply beat me in a fight. Anyways there is about to be more blood then any of us could drink. Mazasius told me a group of adventurer''s would be heading this way and only the little girl among them is off limits.¡± Ivan said to the group who were all in. ¡°How many? Do we need to go and wake up the others.¡± One vampires asked Ivan. ¡°Yes we will need everyone there they have around 15, why don''t you go and wake them up.¡± ¡°Fine but I want my fill on these adventurer''s.¡± The vampire said begrudgingly and left. I cant let this opportunity slip by. Opening the door will have to wait. I notice the direction that the vampire had left and I go in that direction hopefully the stairs or a big enough hole that I can fit through are around for me to catch up. I must be as silent as possible vampires have extremely sensitive senses, and there sense of smell is probably the most concerning. They can detect you from simply smelling your blood. Fortunately living with a vampire for 2 years has taught me that if you slow your heartbeat and breathing you can mask your presence a lot better. I was very relieved to find that there was a stairway at the end of this hall. I got up to it and I noticed that this stairway went down to the ground floor and I could see the vampire from earlier head down this staircase. I follow cautiously. After getting to the ground floor the vampire headed off to the side I cautiously follow him at a safe distance. He arrived at a room that was locked and he pulled a key and opened it. Right after opening it I made my move. I sprinted at him while he still was unarmed with the keys in his hands. He noticed me too late as I was able to deliver a full force knee to his solar plexus causing him to crumple to his knees. He opens his mouth to scream a warning to his comrades but my blow to his abdomen had thoroughly knocked the wind out of him and his warning is muted. Now with no alternative he goes to grab his sword at his waist but dropping his arms was a poor decision as my quickdraw technique is very good. In a flash of light Tachi slashes through his neck and his head rolls off his shoulders as a fountain of blood gushes out in its place. I enter the room and look around and see about 10 coffins, 5 of them being open and empty. After living with Jennifer I found out that vampires do in fact sleep in coffins. Since vampires typically stay awake for prolonged periods, they also sleep for prolonged periods and for some reason sleeping in coffins causes them to recover quicker. They of course can sleep in normal beds and such, and Jennifer would do so sneaking in to cuddle with me quite often. The downside to this is just like with my short-rest skill, they don''t wake easily. One by one I go ahead decapitate each of the 5 sleeping vampires by slashing through the coffins and head in one motion performing the coup de grace. I leave the coffin room which is in major need cleaning now. My next goal is to get this gate open so my allys can join me in this fight against these last four. I head down the hallway that empties in a large lobby like area at the opposite end I can see the gate release lever but before I step forward I can feel a presence behind me closing in. I drop to a knee and I feel a hand slide over to where my shoulder just was. I grab the arm and throw it over my shoulder using a judo throw maximizing the assailant''s forward momentum against him. The result is a flying vampire who slams into the wall causing the ceiling above the impact site to collapse a large chunk of stone that falls on top the vampire. Much to the vampire''s dismay I might add. Another two vampires come at me this time they are not as easy to take care of. Both are wielding weapons, one with a sword and the other with an ax. The two vampires try to intimidate me by showing their fangs but all my attention at there combat stances. A flurry of weapon clashes occur as we begin our fight. I hear a third voice off to the side. ¡°Remember we need her alive.¡± It was Ivan talking from the side. I pull out Tanken so I can oppose both opponents simultaneously. These two vampires are very skilled and they don''t allow me to land any strikes on them. My decision to take out all the sleeping vampires earlier was 100% the right decision these guys are worthy opponents and could potentially kill some of our party members. I notice something about them though, there is a certain wildness about there fighting styles almost like they are in a frenzy. It''s not enough to cause an opening but definitely noticeable. Then I noticed there eyes. They were red. I had seen those eyes before on Jennifer, she had to travel for business and returned late. Apparently someone had stole from the person she was meeting with and she was held up much longer then she intended. She had gone alone so she had no way to drink until she got home. She apologized to me the next day for interrupting my sleep but I will always remember those eyes. The eyes on the verge of losing control. I smile to myself, Jennifer once told me that my blood was by far the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. Time to push these guys over the edge. ¡°You guy''s look really thirsty. That guy is not sharing with you? Its ok I will let you have some of my blood. I hope it''s to your fancy.¡± I then cut myself very slightly across my nape causing a trickle of blood to flow out. Within seconds the two vampires eyes were totally engulfed in red. They abandoned there weapons and lunged at me recklessly. I utilize a technique Jennifer taught me it she called it an ''illusion without illusion magic''. You use a sudden change of acceleration to create an afterimage. I do a sudden front flip over the two vampires who grasp at air smacking into each other. Before they can turn around in time, Tachi had already bisected them at the waist both in the same motion. Though not dead yet those two are not going anywhere any time soon. Ivan began to clap and walk forward towards me. His smile quickly disappeared when he got a good look at me he looked like he had seen a ghost. ¡°Tell me where you got that choker you got on your neck!¡± Ivan was talking about the choker I wear which was a gift from Jennifer. ¡°Maybe I found it? What does it matter to you?¡± I ask Ivan. ¡°Don''t be stupid you must be really important to the Daywalking Beauty for her to give that to you. It was after all her daughter''s, it''s nostalgic because you do resemble her in a way.¡± Ivan said. ¡°She never mentioned any daughter.¡± This was news to me. ¡°Yeah her daughter had the daywalker blood in her too. The leader of the Steinberg coven Vladimar Steinberg tried to abduct her but she fought back and was unfortunately killed in the kidnapping attempt. Vladimir unable to get her daughter so he tried to then take the Daywalking Beauty herself but she ruthlessly slaughtered the whole group. She disappeared and has only popped up several times usually assassinating a member of the Steinberg coven. Now you will tell me where she is!¡± Ivan began to his attack. Ivan weapons were two shortswords. He rushed right up to me in a second I went to counter but it was a feint, exposed he swung one of his swords at me. I ducked backward but he still scored a cut on my abdomen, such vicious attacks. ¡°Fufufu don''t you need information from me and also need me alive?¡± I asked him. ¡°Thats true but I can always just turn you if you are going to die.¡± He countered. Without holding back he continued to attack me, I was having trouble keeping up this is the first time since I fought Max that I have been challenged to this degree. I wont back down from a good fight though. I have an advantage of reach with my weapons but he is slightly to quick and keeps dodging them. I jump back from him for a second and sheath my twin blades. I then pull out my daggers from my ankles. ¡°You think dagger''s will change anything?¡± He then tried a combo attack on me but this time I am much quicker with the daggers opposed to the meter long katana and I am able to dodge them with a cartwheel landing a decent kick to his midsection. However this foe wouldn''t be so easy to have the wind knocked out of him as I did with his buddy earlier. He went in again with the same move he opened up on me at the start. Ha! Using the same feint twice does he think I wouldn''t notice? Instead of stopping to block I attack at the incoming blade. Just as I suspected it was the same move. I duck underneath and then release a vicious combo with my daggers. Stab to left femoral, stab to left kidney, slash across the left bicep, and a finish with a spinning slash to the left Achilles before rolling away. He drops to one knee for a second obviously staggered from the sudden onslaught beneath his guard. ¡°You landed to one killing blow and three crippling blows in under a second. I can see why she has taken an interest in you. It was foolish of me to try to use the same move twice.¡± He then pulled out a bottle some type of potion or perhaps blood and he drank it. The wounds began to heal almost instantly. He then did something unexpected he went to leave to another area inside the barracks. ¡°Hey you are just going to leave? We are not done here!¡± ¡°Well I would be lying if I said I didn''t want to interrogate you about where I can find Jennifer but you obviously are a opponent that can beat me. If I capture you Kormon will just take you from me so there really isn''t any gain for me. I was only here to keep tabs on this group and try to create a relationship with them. When you see the Daywalking beauty let her know that the Stein berg''s haven''t forgotten about her.¡± He then departed, I had eliminated all of his buddies he would no longer be a problem. I will talk to Jennifer about all this once I get back. I go and pull down the lever, I hear the sound of chains pulling something up and then a thud. Almost immediately my party entered in. The warriors had some blood on them and I could see several dead carcasses behind them that looked like demon hounds. ¡°What took you so lon...?¡± Leon began to say but then he noticed the two bisected vampires who were on the verge of death. ¡°While you guys were playing with puppies I had to deal with a pack of vampires. Any injuries I have a high potion if there is something bad enough that cant wait for us to find this barrier rune so Reid can heal them.¡± ¡°No we should be fine in that regard but lets quickly find this thing.¡± Reid explained. Oliver was able to find the the rune and successfully deactivate it. Luckily we found a map of the barracks. Soon we would be upon the emerald stairway leading into the inner palace. ¡°The emerald stairway should be just beyond this gate everyone stay sharp.¡± I told everyone as we opened the gate. The emerald stairway was unlike anything else I have ever seen. The stair''s themselves were pure white marble, the railings were made of bright green emerald. Up high on the walls were beautiful stain-glass windows depicting the Karthian gods. There also was several statues of some Karthians placed on the side. The gate leading into the inner palace was too made of emerald. At the top of the stair''s before the gate the is a large landing area. Something felt off about it though, I use the Sidhe staff to cast dispel illusion. The amplified spell quickly reveals a party of about 10 all in very good gear in the middle was a caster with a lunar staff, Mazasius. Quickly my suspicions are confirmed by Oliver. ¡°You bastard you will pay for what you did to Ellie!¡± Oliver was really pissed. ¡°Oh my former apprentice Oliver I haven''t seen you in a while how you doing. Ellie? Who is that again? Oh that girl I tested the command sigil on? She satisfied my every command and trust me I took advantage of that. Hahahaha¡± Mazasius successfully taunted Oliver who I had to tackle to prevent him running up and attacking him. ¡° I was thinking instead of a boring battle we could decide this affair with a game. Oliver you remember the game we use to play at Mahouren Stratim? We will just add stakes to it. The winner gets to pick two conditions and the loser must abide to it. My conditions are simple that young girl becomes my prisoner and the rest of you must leaves the lost city.¡± Mazasius offered. ¡°Stratim what are the rules and mechanics of this game?¡± I ask Mazasius. ¡°Stratim is a game of pure strategy. It uses low level enchantment magic so it is a good game to practice enchantment magic.¡± Mazasius then drops a rune I can feel space-time magic. Where he dropped the rune there is a large board that is checkered identical to a chess board but the pieces are different. ¡°Each player gets 8 soldiers who have attack strength of 1 and can only attack 1 tile away. They have 2 archer who can only attack in a straight line in front of them or to the side there attack strength is two but if there is an opponent within one space of them it drops to 1. They get two lancer''s who only can attack within 2 tiles, or one tile diagonal whose attack is 2. Two casters who can attack only pieces diagonal to them whose attack is 2 but also changes to 1 if there is an opponent 1 tile away just like with the archers. The last two pieces are special the cleric which can heal pieces that are damaged, that are either in a straight line in front of them or to side as well as diagonal, the healer has no attack but has defense of 2. The last piece is the most important its the enchanter he can buff any piece that is next to him or in a chain of friendly pieces next to him. Then enchanter like the healer has no attack but has defense of 3. Two win you simply have to defeat the enchanter.¡± Mazasius explained the basic mechanics of the game. ¡°Explain movement of pieces and the buffing.¡± I still needed some more information. ¡°So all pieces can only move one tile at a time except for the Lancer he can move 2 tiles. Each side gets 12 buffs. 5 offensive buffs of three of which are +1, and two that are +2 and 5 defensive buffs again three that are +1, and two that are +2. The last two buffs are movement buffs adding 1 to movement speed. A piece can have a maximum of two buffs at any given time and you can double up on offensive or defensive buffs. A turn consists of 3 phases the first part is the movement turn, they can move one piece within the given mechanics but can''t move through other pieces. The second part of the turn is the attack, they can attack with any piece once the attack minuses from the defenders defense. The third part of the phase is the buffing phase they can move a maximum of two buffs that are next to or in a chain next to the enchanter. Oh yeah the base defense of every piece except healer an enchanter are 1. If an attacker attack strength is greater then the defender''s defense that piece is beaten and it and any buff''s attached to it are lost. If a defensive buff that was keeping the defender''s defense above 0 is moved that piece is also lost. Instead of attacking the player can heal instead restoring up to 2 defense to a piece within the healer''s mechanics of healing.¡± Mazasius finished explaining. ¡°You have never lost a game of Stratim we would be foolish to........¡± Oliver began to decline him but I interjected. ¡°We will accept but what assurance will we have that you would abide to the conditions?¡± I ask must to Oliver''s dismay. ¡°Well in addition to being a master enchanter, I happen to be a master scribe I will just write up a blood contract. Failure to comply with the contract within the designated time will result in death.¡± Mazasius had an enormous smile on his face. ¡°Lara don''t do it Mazasius has never lost a game of Stratim and we outnumber his group.¡± Oliver ¡°We may outnumber them but they have higher level''s then us. To be frank a fight with them would honestly be a toss up. Any ways I have a feeling I know why he has never lost.¡± I try to reassure Oliver but he remains objective. ¡°This is not wise, there is no way I can beat him.¡± Oliver looked at me with a face saying please don''t do this. ¡°All you have to do is do what I tell you with the pieces and we will win, anyways its my own freedom that is at risk. Trust me strategy games happen to be my specialty.¡± I say with a big smile on my face. ¡°Write up the contract, our two conditions are that you get us into the inner palace without resistance. The second condition is that you turn yourself into the templars of the church if you lose.¡± I tell Mazasius. '' ¡°Very well we shall settle this with wits, rather then violence.¡± I was about to play the most important game of my life, playing something I have never played before. Why? Because I never turn down a challenge, that dates back to my day''s as Taiko. Chapter 25 Raid on Atlus part 5: The Death Game Chapter 25 Raid in Atlus Part 5: The Death Game ¡°Miss Lara here is the contract.¡± Mazasius handed me the contract he had just written up. At first glancing over it, everything seemed fine except for one problem. Sly bastard tried to trick me. ¡°This wont do you misspelled Stratim on your end of the contract as Startim. This contract would only effect me written as is. I am sure an honest mistake, I hope you have the materials to write up a new one.¡± I said as I ripped up the contract that he had given me. ¡°Indeed I am sorry, as you said yourself an honest mistake. I am glad you caught it for me.¡± Mazasius said with an obviously forced smile. Mazasius begrudgingly wrote up a new contract, and handed it to me. I looked this one over and approved of it. I poked my finger with my dagger and signed I wrote my name in Japanese to conceal my identity. The contract lit up confirming a legitimate signature. Mazasius did the same right after. ¡°That is a peculiar signature, I don''t recognize the symbols. The contract accepted it as legit though. Even on a blood contract you are able to conceal your identity.¡± Mazasius stated. ¡°Well let''s begin I will let you guys have the first move.¡± Mazasius said. ¡°Ok Oliver lets do this.¡± I began ordering pieces around. It seems that the beginning mainly consists of setting up pieces in good positions and distributing the buffs to your front line pieces, however the neutral area once empty between our piece was now occupied. It was time to start attacking we both had lancers who could attack. I had two soldiers that were within striking distance of his lancer one had a +1 defense bonus for engaging fellow soldiers. Amazingly Mazasius decided to attack that soldier over the one that was in the middle of the board. Similar to chess control of the middle of the board was paramount to most strategies. ¡°Weird you would attack the soldier that held less strategic value.¡± I said as my piece destroyed. My suspicions were confirmed early when I did a analyze on him one of his abilities was a passive effect. Perfect detect enchantment; this ability allows him to detect every enchantment. And now I know that includes these game pieces that have extremely powerful wards to prevent such a thing. I of course have a similar ability so I won''t complain. ¡°Well everyone has a different strategy, what value a piece or position holds is speculative to each individual.¡± He rebutted but I knew better. I took out one his soldiers with my lancer. ¡°Pay back for your soldier? I will attack your lancer back.¡± He then attacked my lancer that had a +2 defense bonus on him with his caster. The piece was not destroyed but now only had one health. ¡°Lucky I had that buff on him. I will pull him back for now.¡± I moved the piece back. ¡°I am going to heal my lancer instead of attacking¡± I told Mazasius. ¡°A wise decision, lancers are one the most important pieces in this game. It is smart to keep them healthy¡± Mazasius said The game continued one by one I started losing pieces at a quicker rate then Mazasius. From an outsider the game must have looked lopsided. The pieces I lost were substantial 4 soldiers, a lancer, an archer, and also my healer. It appeared as though I was totally outclassed. Oliver and the others seemed extremely concerned for me and I could tell that weren''t totally sold on this game. They were all tense ready to spring into action. Everyone in fact had hands on there weapons, and were in battle postures. ¡°Guys just relax, this game is protected by a blood contract of both commanders. Attack them and you violate the contract and we all forfeit our lives.¡± I say mainly looking at Rictor who had he sword ready to unsheathe at any given moment. ¡°Sorry it is just you seem to be outclassed here. Perhaps you overestimated your abilities¡± Rictor explained the feelings of the whole party. ¡°Listen to your companions. The ending to this game is guaranteed, if you want you can concede now and save us all the time. If you do so I will even let you leave with your companions as long as you promise to never return. I have already taken 7 of your pieces and 6 of your buffs. You have only taken 4 pieces and 5 buffs of mine.¡± Mazasius interjected after Rictor''s words. ¡°Hahahahahahaha. You think I am foolish enough to fall to that ploy. You know what is written on the contract is absolute? No matter what you promise me it doesn''t matter. In fact even if you did win and you forced me to leave you yourself would violate the contract. Hilarious you take me for a fool.¡± I couldn''t help myself, my laughter wouldn''t stop. ¡°It seems your cleverness only extends to understanding contracts. You have been thoroughly outclassed in this game however. It just a matter of time. What''s so funny? Have you become maniac from realizing you are doomed?¡± Mazasius said with a large grin. I was still laughing my heart out. I immediately stopped laughing and looked at Mazasius with a look that was as serious as death itself. ¡°Anyways why would I concede now when I am only 4 turns from winning? This game has proceeded exactly how I wanted it to.¡± I looked at Mazasius square in the eyes in way that said I was not bluffing in the least. ¡°Pfffft impossible you are just speaking nonesense. That is absurd I have the ability to play this game and see my opponents moves 5 turns ahead. There is no possible way you can win in 5 turns let alone 4.¡± Mazasius said this mainly to reassure himself. ¡°Very well I move my caster and attack your soldier.¡± I move the caster that was on the right side of the board to take out a seemingly meaningless piece by Mazasius''s enchanter. He quickly moved his lancer with movement and +2 attack buff forward and took out my caster. ¡°You sacrifice your caster to take a meaningless soldier and now have doomed yourself to lose in 4 turns. I don''t know why I was so concerned earlier, it was after all just a bluff.¡± ¡°Now I move my second caster and attack with him targeting your soldier.¡± I said taking out another seemingly pointless soldier. I have a movement speed buff on one of my soldiers in the right corner. He can kill Mazasius''s Lancer next turn if he doesn''t move it. ¡°Well you have just 3 turns now before you lose. Say goodbye to your soldier.¡± Mazasius moved his lancer forward taking out my soldier that I had just buffed, and positioning it to begin assaulting my unguarded enchanter. ¡°Perfect you fell for my trap just how I designed it. You say you can see 5 turns ahead? Well I just happen to be able to see 8 turns ahead. You last possible escape from my trap I laid at the beginning of the game has just vanished as well as any chance for your victory.¡± I said with a huge smile. ¡°I don''t understand you keep saying this has all gone the way you wanted it to but you are the one whose about to lose?¡± Mazasius still thought I was bluffing. ¡°To say I planted the trap at the beginning of the game is untrue to be honest I planted the trap when you proposed the game. When Oliver told me you had never lost, and you being a master enchanter. I concluded that you must have an innate ability to detect enchantments. Giving you an unprecedented advantage¡± I continued. ¡°You made it obvious that you possessed such an ability based on your movements and attacks. Just now you even confirmed it for me by telling me the exact number buffs that have been lost, knowledge that you shouldn''t be able to possess. Your ability lets you detect all enchants. Even ones that are buffs on Stratim pieces. This ability has distracted you during our game since you have been unable to detect what enchantment I had to conceal my status. You eyes have been searching to no avail, it boggles your mind how this is possible. How can someone conceal there status with no enchantment you must have thought?¡± I explained to him what I had figured out. ¡°I do have said ability, it is called Perfect Detect Magic. It was a gift from none other Sanite himself. None of that matters now once I have control of you I will know what secrets you keep. Since using my ability was not stipulated on the contract there is nothing you can do about it. Hahahahahaha¡± Mazasius thought he was so clever.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You used your ability as a crutch guiding your strategy and moves. Your ability has blinded you from my trap. While you can see what pieces are buffed, there is something that it cant detect and it has now doomed you¡± I said still holding that smile even when Mazasius started laughing at me. ¡°Oh yeah and what is that? I can see where the pieces are and where the buffs are what else do I need to know? The fact that you know my ability is pointless at this point¡± Mazasius was still confident of his situation, it was time to pull the rug out from under him. ¡°Well with your ability you certainly have an advantage, it may tell you what buffs each pieces posses but it doesn''t tell you how much health each piece has. I move my caster up one space and attack your soldier. ¡± I did my move killing a soldier, with the soldier defeated his enchanter was now within my caster''s attack line. And my caster had a +2 attack. ¡°So in Stratim what happens if you try to heal a piece that is full health?¡± I ask a rhetorical question. ¡°A piece can only be healed up to the threshold of its max defense. Anything more is wasted why do you ask this?¡± Mazasius was still confused. ¡°Well what if I told you the lancer I healed earlier wasn''t the one with a +2 defense you had damaged with your caster, what if I had healed my other lancer that was full health already? If now I move the +2 defense buff from him what would happen?¡± As I asked the question I moved my buffs the +2 defense buff from my lancer to my enchanter. Immediately the lancer disappeared having its buff removed and being brought below 0 health threshold. The second buff I moved was the other +2 attack buff to my archer that was nestled behind my lancer who had disappeared from moving the buff. The archer was directly in a line with his enchanter as well now creating check mate. ¡°Like you I too can see the enchants on the board, you think I sacrificed my healer among other pieces for nothing other then meaningless positioning, soldiers, and buffs? You only have one defensive buff left and its a +1. I have two pieces that do 4 damage in a direct line with your enchanter next turn and the highest possible defense you could muster on your enchanter is 4. In one turn you can not block, kill or move your pieces in any manner in which to prevent both pieces from being able to one-shot your enchanter on my next turn. Also your Lancer could only do a maximum of 4 damage to my enchanter who has 5 defense. You have been utterly defeated.¡± I say as I end my turn. Waiting for his reaction. I bring back that smile from earlier. Mazasius''s face had turned from a smile to a look of disbelief. He was probably wondering how this was possible. How I had used his own ability against him. No matter how he looked the board I was going to win next turn. My promise of winning in 4 turns was no bluff after all. He regained his compsosure and started clapping to me as if he had some sense of gamesmanship. ¡°You sacrificed one of your best pieces just to conceal a trap. Incredible indeed there is no manner in which I can set my pieces to prevent such an attack next turn. Who would have thought that you possess such an ability too. I shouldn''t be surprised though you do draw in the power of the aspect of wrath. You are truly remarkable but I still have one card left to play.¡± Mazasius drew his lunar staff. ¡°The contract only takes effect after the game has concluded and since we put no limit to the maximum duration of one turn, I can freely attack your raid team and as long as I do not take my turn!¡± Mazasius started casting a large spell of some sort at us. ¡°Everyone don''t retaliate trust me just stay still. Please trust me!¡± Everyone obeyed me without question thankfully. Mazasius spell flew towards us and was quickly dispelled by a barrier I had Oliver set up during the game Mazasius was too concentrated on me and the game to notice such a specifically built barrier. Right after his attack the contract paper lit up and beams spread to all the members of Mazasius team including himself. Mazasius and all of his follower''s collapsed to the ground as if all there strength had been sapped from them. ¡°Impossible how did I violate the contract? I don''t understand.¡± Mazasius asked. He knew he was dying but he didn''t know why. ¡°Silly Mazasius. You think I would overlook such a simple loop hole in the contract? You think my signature was only thing I wrote in that strange writing you didn''t understand?¡± I said to him feeling no guilt about what I had done. ¡°You tricked me! What did you add to the contract?¡± Mazasius was barely clinging on. ¡°I added in a simple clause. Any attempt by either party to cause harm to the other party while the game was in progress would violate the contract. You arrogantly accepted my signature not thinking I was bold enough to change the contract itself in my foreign writing. I don''t feel bad though the clause I created wasn''t one sided, if we had attacked you out of desperation the same thing would have happened to us. But I would never lose to the likes of you. Goodbye Mazasius, I go now to crush your master as I have done to you. You people who would sacrifice innocent people to feed your own power out of greed, this fate is too kind for the likes of you¡± I haunted Mazasius as he finally died. ¡°Oliver I must apologize I knew you wanted to personally have vengeance on this man for what he did to your friend, but I did this to protect our party. If you want to hate me I wont blame you.¡± I looked at Oliver who was in tears at the whole ordeal. ¡°I don''t hate you, in fact I want to thank you bringing justice to this man. I don''t have the nerve to kill like a lot of you do so maybe this was for the best. Its just I thought after Elise had been avenged that this pain inside of my heart would lessen but hole inside my heart still exists. Retribution has not filled it in the slightest. Remembering all the times going to classes with her, and then working together with her in the research department afterward. She was taken away from me before I had a chance to confess my feeling''s to her. I wanted to tell her I loved her.¡± Oliver hugged me and let out his emotion''s that he had buried so deep inside himself out. I will only give him a short time to collect himself, as harsh as that sounds that all I can afford to give him. The final showdown with Kormon would soon take place. After a few minutes we continued through the Emerald Gateway. To my surprise it opened for us without issue. As the gate opened the beauty of the inner palace truly showed it was truly majestic the floor was made of pure marble like the stairway. There walls were also made of marble too but there was very detailed engravings drawn into them. There were various paintings and artwork scattered everywhere. Diana would probably freak if she saw all this. All the woodwork glistened from the light casting through the crystal clear windows. There was decorative carpet leading up to a stairway where it split in two directions. Standing on the first landing of the stairs stood Kormon or perhaps this was another illusion. That question was quickly answered as one of Melinus''s arrows whizzed through the Kormon illusion''s head deflecting harmlessly off the marble wall behind it. ¡°Now is that any way to treat your humble host?....Anyways I welcome you guys to the emerald palace! Amazing right? This place is still in spectacular shape after having being uninhabited for centuries. While the city crumbles around it this inner palace stays eternal.¡± Kormon continued. ¡°I must thank you little girl your name is Lara right? You have thoroughly tested my subordinates and they have revealed themselves as inept. To show my gratitude I will let you gain audience with me in the throne room. However I am afraid that I am unable to send you an escort, so you will have to find your way here by yourself. Please be careful this is a very dangerous place after all wouldnt want you getting hurt now would we.¡± With that the illusion dispelled itself. ¡°Careful there are traps here¡± Mason stopped us from advancing. He threw an expensive pot that was sitting on a pedestal towards the stair way as soon as it hit the stairs spikes shot up from the ground all on the stairway. He then threw some dust in the air in front of us. The dust all settled on spot of marble that with further inspection looked slightly different then the other marble. ¡°We must proceed carefully, I doubt this was the only one.¡± Mason walked up to the spot where the dust had settled and stepped on the ground there causing some clicking noise causing all the spikes recede and lock so they wouldnt reactivate. ¡°The stairs should be fine now.¡± I am sure glad I have such a skilled rogue with me. We carefully went up the stairs. The stairs split into two directions we can either split up or choose one direction to go together. ¡°What do you guys think splitting up would save us some time but we are weaker separated. Also we only have one rogue to spot traps so one group would be traveling blind.¡± I ask the group what they want to do both strategies have there own merit. ¡°I can detect traps too so splitting up wont leave us vulnerable to traps.¡± It was Landon our beastmaster he kept an Eagle on his shoulder. ¡°I can vouch for Landon I have been on adventures with him before he can spot traps as well as I can.¡± Mason gave him the vote of confidence. ¡°So you guys want to split up?¡± Everyone seemed to agree on this. ¡°Ok Reid, Leon, Landon, Melinus, Joel, and Rictor I want you to go to the right. I leave Rictor in charge, if you have trouble meet back here to regroup. The rest of us are going left.¡± I split us up as evenly as possible. ¡°My lady are you sure it is wise to split me up from you?¡± Reid started his ''My Lady'' bullcrap again. ¡°Yes other then you I am the only one here capable of healing someone who has a major injury.¡± I grin and show my high potions I crafted on the way to this god forsaken city a few days earlier. ¡°Be safe you guys if you find the throne room don''t engage Kormon until we regroup. April and Joel can communicate with each other through their familiars.¡± I said as we seperated. As soon as we got to the top of the stairs Mason immediately stopped us. ¡°Something is not right about this hallway. Illusion magic perhaps.¡± When Mason suggested illusion magic I cast a dispell down the middle of the hallway revealing the true hallway we were walking in. There were swinging blades every few feet, what looked to be pressure plates that released posion darts, and last but not least spears that came up from the ground in a regular pattern. ¡°Wow this place is a death trap. Unbelievable¡± April said at the scene in front of us. ¡°This is going to take some time to disarm¡± Mason said as he started looking around for all the pressure plates. ¡°Let me do the honors¡± I said to Mason and started before he had a chance to respond. Both the swinging blades and spears that came out of the ground had a non metal material at the pivot. I run in cut down two swinging blades at the pivot with Tachi. At the same time I activated 3 different pressure plates. The first set of poison darts thankfully lined up with my follow through swing of Tachi. The second set of darts I was able to defect with my staff in my offhand. The final set I used gust of wind blowing them back into the wall bouncing off harmlessly. I finish off the last swinging blade and pressure plate with some more skillful sword play. When the set of spears in the middle rises up I freeze them with sleet of ice a level 2 water spell. Then I cut down the spears like a farmer harvesting his crop as they are frozen at full extension. ¡°Come on we must hurry.¡± I yell at my group to pick it up. They shouldn''t get amazed by skillful displays like this, in a place like this lowering your guard can be deadly. ¡°Impressive Lara you are so cool!¡± April exclaimed. ¡°So scary is more like it¡± Lux said. The party followed in my path through the now disarmed traps. I went ahead a bit, then something grabbed my attention. Throughout the palace there were countless painting but one finally caught my eye eerily. It was of a man I had seen in Grena''s memories... Magnus. I went up to the painting and looked at it in his right hand he had the chalice. I was going to take this painting and keep it in my spacial ring I am sure there useful clues in here about Magnus, I just dont have the time to sit down and figure it out. When I pushed up on the painting to slide it off it resting place something unexpected happened. The wall and the ground around my feet were suddenly twisted about 180 degrees, so I was now behind the wall I was just in front of. It was completely dark and before I could gain my bearings I heard a few clicks and the platform I was standing on started rising up rapidly. Getting ready to destroy what ever was at the end of this platform ride I soon found that it wouldn''t be needed. Within seconds the ceiling opened up and spat me out into an enormous library. It looks like I have unfortunately been separated from my group. I will have to find a way back to them. Everyone please stay safe! Chapter 26 Raid on Atlus part 6: Kara vs. Kormon Raid Finale Chapter 26 Raid on Atlus Part 6: Kara vs. Kormon Raid finale ¡°Damn can''t believe that painting was concealing a secret passage. This library that it has brought me to is massive.¡± The bookcases extended all the way to the ceiling and the rows of bookcases were very dense only leaving a 4 foot pathway in between each bookcase. Oh how I would love just to spend a few months to go through this library, there is an untold amount of Karthian knowledge and history here. Perhaps after I deal with Kormon. In fact it so packed here within the bookcases that I am having a hard time finding the exit, the bookcases are so dense it is almost like a maze. At first I tried to navigate it by I keeping to the outer wall but I soon found I was only going in circles. ¡°Damn I don''t have time for this¡± I recollected myself and started to map the area on a piece of parchment I had pulled from my spacial ring. After some effort I was final able to check the whole area except the center which I had finally arrived at. In the middle there was a spiral staircase going up. After checking for traps I cautiously entered the spiral staircase and ascended to the next floor. This next floor was a lot more spread out bookcases only went up about 10 feet and I could see stairways to the exit on the far wall from where I was. I went to sprint over there but before I could finish my first step a soft voice froze me in my steps. ¡°Kafore bai cha chat?¡± The voice belonged to a pale white woman with black eye and with silver hair in a very simple black dress standing directly in front of me. I had not sensed any presences, how had she totally hid her presence like that? ¡°Kafore bai cha chat?¡± She said again in the exact same manner as before. This language is Karthian, kafore bai cha chat means ''hello can I assist you?'' I responded to her back in Karthian. ¡°Um who are you, why was I unable to sense your life force.¡± I ask her. ¡°You understand me, you are only the second in centuries this is good perhaps I can be made use of. As per your query my name LibarianHelperX3, and as for your second query that is because I am not alive.¡± She answered. ¡°Not alive can you explain? What are you exactly?¡± I asked now sidetracked from my quest for a moment. ¡°I am automaton, or a machine doll if you will. I was created for the purpose of keeping this library organized, helping visitors find a particular book, and protecting the restricted material from unauthorized people. However my creator and her whole race has been long since deceased so now I simply spend my time going through the books cataloging them and transcribing them to my memory¡± She answered very unemotionally. ¡°Automaton? I didn''t realize such technology existed in this world this is crazy. Why haven''t I seen more advanced technology like you?¡± This was a big shocker the most advance technology I had seen so far was a musketlike firearm, but in a fight against a mage or good fighter you would stand no chance you might as well be using a sling. ¡°I cannot say, if I had to hypothesize it would be the fact the other races rely on magic to accomplish things. Anything an automaton could accomplish a golem or hommunculus in most instances could achieve the same thing. My creator and her race did have some who possessed magic or psionic abilities. However the majority relied on technology.¡± She replied. I don''t remember seeing any weird technology in the city up this point other then that giant light on the roof of the cave that I was sure was from some sort of magic. ¡°Then why is there not Karthian technology laying around the city such as other automatons or vehicles.¡± I asked unsure if I can believe this automaton. ¡°The answer to your query is simply towards the end of Karthians extinction there was a royal decree to destroy anything technology based. My master at the time was afraid that king was under someone''s influence so my master hid me in a secret compartment under the stairs on the left side of the wall and told me not to come out until she said so. I waited for 20 years before realizing my master was not coming back.¡± ¡°So none of your technology slipped out? I don''t understand how that is possible.¡± I am pretty sure some visitor would have tried to take something out. ¡°The main teleport circle to and from Atlus was set up to specifically not transfer metallic things. The reason for this was two fold. First to keep Karthian technology from escaping and being duplicated. Second to limit the amount of weapons entering the city. There is no other way out of the city except past an enormous water serpent.¡± ¡°What about a mage using space-time magic or a secret passage?¡± I countered ¡°I suppose both of those are plausible, but you said yourself the outside world doesn''t have near the technology so perhaps artifacts that escaped were intercepted? Maybe there is some out there locked in a treasury or a room. I can not answer for sure.¡± ¡°Who is this second person who could understand you? You said I was the second.¡± I was pretty sure I knew who it was. ¡°He went by the name Kormon, he took restricted material without clearance for it. When I tried to stop him he quickly subdued me, he is a very talented mage. He was able to damage my body with one spell¡± She then lifted up her dress to show me her belly that had been cracked open slightly I could see the metal exoskeleton as well as the gears and cords on the inside. ¡°What books did he take?¡± I ask curiously. ¡°He took all books on hommonculi and soul magic. I have failed in my duties¡± She answered in angered way. ¡°Weird you showed a little emotion there. Can you show me this hidden compartment a source told there is one here by the stairs? I am going to confront Kormon and I think he may have a teleport circle hidden there.¡± She quickly showed me the place pulling on a book on the shelf caused it to slide open. The inside was a small workshop of sorts there were tools, a magnifying glass, spare parts, and scrolls of schematics. The workbench was quite cluttered. On the ground was a teleport circle, the intel I gained for John was accurate. I quickly destroyed it one less card for Kormon to play. ¡°Ok thank you Libby you should come with me and escape this place.¡± I said to her. ¡°Libby who''s Libby?¡± She didn''t understand. ¡°Oh Librarian in common is ''li brereen''. I gave you the nickname Libby because the name Libarianhelperx3 is too long and boring.¡± I explained how I came up with the name. ¡°Oh I see a nickname I am honored. My master she gave me a nickname too.¡± She said . ¡°Really if you want I could call you by that. What was it?¡± I asked her. ¡°Libby is fine I would prefer to keep that name between me and my deceased master. Anyways I must politely decline your invitation. I was made to keep this library in order, so until I stop functioning that is what I am going to do.¡± She wanted to stay in this place even though there was no assurance she would ever get another visitor again. ¡°Well if you change your mind let me know.¡± I was kind of disappointed that she didn''t want to come with me but I can understand why she didn''t. I proceeded up the stairs waved goodbye to Libby and left into the hallway. The hallway was large, you could probably fit an elephant in here. I had no idea where I was in this place but I knew what direction I needed to go find Kormon. There was a very intense and sinister magical pressure coming from right. It was obvious whom it belonged to I mustn''t be too far from him now. Logically I knew I needed my comrades to tackle this foe but I need to scout out his security detail first. If I can sneak a good peek I can come up with an effective battle plan. I continued down the hall and I could here a piano being playing. The music was extremely familiar I am certain I have heard it before perhaps even played it. Right as I was going to figure out what song was being played the music stopped. I was so focused on figuring it out that I had walked right up to the guards in front of the throne room. One of the guards turned to me. ¡°You are the one known as Lara?¡± He asked without any emotion behind it. All I could do was nod to him. ¡°The master has been waiting for you, don''t worry about your friends they have already arrived ahead of and are now seated.¡± With that the 3 other guards directly in front of the door moved to the side and then the guard I talked to opened the door to the throne room. My friends have already arrived? I don''t like this one bit but I guess at this point there is no turning back for better or worse. I walked cautiously into the throne room. Immediately as I did a heard a loud thud behind me, the door had been shut by the guards. I don''t get it why have guards if you don''t use them? Perhaps to keep his subordinates at arms length, its seems him and Sanite have a personal vendetta against me. The throne room like the rest of the palace was ornate but this room took it to a whole new level. The throne itself must have been pure gold with a purple cushion but that wasn''t the only thing gold, all the chairs looking up to the throne too were gold. Sitting in some of the chairs all grouped were all my companions they looked fine but why were they sitting down there appeared to be some sort of binding on them. To the right was all sorts of treasure gold, silver, gems, everything was quite valuable all stacked up. There was also a piano it must have been the one I heard earlier Kormon was still sitting behind it. Oliver had noticed me enter and shouted at me. ¡°You fool run away forget about us and Korm...¡± Oliver said but was cut off there was some type of device on the chair that prevented him from talking and I am assuming moving as well, perhaps it was the weird binding. Kormon stood up from behind the piano. ¡°Oh dear my guests lack proper manners don''t you know you are in the presence of royalty? You should show your proper respect¡± As soon as he said royalty it was as if a dagger had gone through my heart did he perhaps know my secret?! ¡°If you are royalty why would you need to go through all this trouble to gain power, wouldn''t it be a lot easier to use your station to gain that power?¡± It was Lux asking him the question. ¡°Ah I think you are mistaken, I am not the one here with royal blood. I am indeed of noble blood but my family is that of aristocrat. My grandfather was a very successful merchant whom gained a noble station as a duke. My father is the current duke and I but his fifth child.¡± Kormon said very elegantly. ¡°If you are not royalty then who is..?¡± Leon muttered out. In an instant Kormon blinked over to me. I was still in shock from the royalty statement. Before I could react to him he quickly plucked both false elf ears off my head like one plucking an apple from a tree. ¡°Now now princess Kara those fake elf ears are unbecoming of you. There is no reason to impersonate an inferior race.¡± Kormon said and blinked back to the piano. ¡°Princess Kara?¡± Everyone kind of muttered to themselves in disbelief. I their stoic half-wood elf leader was exposed for who I truly was an 8-year old human princess. ¡°This is some type of illusion what game are you playing.¡± Mason said before he too was muted. ¡°Oh this is no illusion. This girl here is indeed none other then Kara Rosewood third princess of Termain. Don t believe me ask her yourself.¡± Kormon replied. I finally collected myself enough to talk. ¡°How did you know? No one has ever been able to read my status.¡± I said in disbelief looking up at Kormon who had a sinister smile still on his face. ¡°Does one need to see one''s status to know who they are? How did I know? It is quite simple really. You have another title ''The songstress princess'' I have seen you before. How could one ever forget those deep blue eyes and golden blond hair, or the beautiful songs you sang. Here let me remind you.¡± He causally walked back up to the piano and began playing the song from earlier that I couldn''t figure out. When he started to sing the chorus I could feel my heart in my throat, it had all came together. ¡°? Ever since I met you my heart has been acting weird ? ¡° ¡°? It''s causing me to think of you constantly ? ¡° ¡°? But with you by my side I feel I can do anything? ¡° ¡°? Don''t you dare look at anyone else because....? ¡° ¡°? I am your only one!? ¡± He stopped after the first verse and stood back up and looked back at me. ¡°So you were at that wedding too 3 years ago.¡± I said to him. ¡°Yes I was dear princess. You see the name Kormon is just an alias the word kor in Karthian means right, and the word mon means hand. Kormon means right hand, as in the right hand of Sanite. My actual name is Quinton Remnant. Perhaps you recognize the family name the proud house of Remnant does reside in the great nation of Termain after all¡± He confirmed everything that I had figured out. ¡°Harold Remnant the Duke of Harbortown. Second biggest city in Termain.¡± I said recollecting my knowledge. ¡°That''s the one.¡± He replied to my statement. ¡°Ok so whats your goal here? I thought you wanted to sew chaos and destruction to Zyrus to feed Sanite power. Where do I fit into your plan.¡± He does seem like an open book might as well take advantage. ¡°Well that is true, that is what I am going to do after all. However lately I have had trouble figuring out what I would do after Zyrus''s fall. I was planning corrupting Moben next but then you kind of fell into my lap. When I first saw you at the secret passageway it took me a little bit to remember where I had seen you from and then I remembered you from the wedding. I formed a perfect plan to accelerate my goals.¡± He was so excited right now explaining his plan to us with not a worry that we could stop him.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°So this what I planned after Zyrus. I would return with you to Lorrington, you would say that you suffered from amnesia and didn''t remember your past. I had remembered you from the wedding and told you of your identity. King William would confirm your blood himself and would be very grateful to me for returning the lost princess. You would of course become very smitten with me your rescuer and of course fall in love with me wanting to marry. Our fathers would both support a marriage between us, since it makes sense politically to strengthen the bond between the autocracy and the royal family. A marriage that would be celebrated through all of Termain¡± He continued. ¡°After our wedding a very tragic series of events would happen within the Rosewood family. Your parents and 4 siblings would all unfortunately die one way or another leaving you as the sole heir. I your husband would of course become king and you my dutiful wife the queen. From that station I would be able to create havoc and despair at and unprecedented rate The whole time with you by my side.¡± He finished his explanation. How dare he threaten my family! ¡°What makes you think I would go along with such a plan in the first place?¡± I said very angry now clutching Tachi ready to cut this piece of shit in half. ¡°Oh about that, while the late Mazasius was inept I did gain one thing from him. Stanley enter please.¡± As he said these words one of the guards entered in to the room and shut the door behind him. ¡°Stanley come here.¡± Stanley walked forward as instructed. ¡°Ok that is good enough now remove your chestpiece and turn around.¡± As he did as commanded I saw a familiar sigil on the guards back it was command sigil from earlier. ¡°As you can see I have successfully able to replicate Mazasius''s sigil. You see once I put this sigil on you, you will be under my control. I will have you personally kill all your friends here as well as the ones you left behind in the city. Then once we are married I will have you do the dirty work on your own family. You will be unable to resist my command and become the most obedient wife. You will satisfy my every need without hesitation. Here let me demonstrate.¡± He looked back at Stanley. ¡°Stanley pull out your blade and hold it to your own throat.¡± Stanley obeyed however his eyes were full of pure terror. ¡°Now cut your own throat.¡± Kormon commanded and without delay Stanley cut his own throat causing a fountain of blood to come gushing out. Stanley after a few seconds collapsed dead. This sent me over the edge. In a fit of rage I launched at Kormon with all my strength I would kill this bastard for all he has done and plans to do. Kormon did not move a muscle as I approached, I was pretty sure this was no illusion I swung down with Tachi at his head. Then something happened that boggled my mind. As if being attacked by a wooden sword Kormon simply stopped my blade with one hand catching it like it was nothing. ¡°Weak¡± He said disappointingly and countered with a concentrated high level wind spell that he did not need an incantation for. The wind sent me flying at an extremely fast rate into the wall behind me. The force of the impact was severe and I could immediately tell that I had fractured several ribs. My head felt terrible and I was in a daze. I slid down from the impact site and landed on the ground breathing was difficult and as soon as I attempted it I coughed. The cough brought with it red fluid that I spewed from my mouth all over my outfit and the ground around me. Add concussion and punctured lung to the injury report. ¡°Wow the spell I just used was so strong it sucked out all the oxygen in the room your comrades seemed to have passed out as result. I am actually disappointed I thought that the champion of Grena would have been a more worthy opponent. To be defeated so quickly must be embarrassing. I cant believe all my subordinates were bested by you.¡± He said with a genuine sad expression. I don''t get it I can see his status he is only level 85 how is this strong. Its like he is stronger then Jennifer right now and she is almost level 130. ¡°You are only level 85 how are you this strong. I don''t understand.¡± I asked him. ¡°Well isn''t it obvious I draw it from my Lord Sanite, you have the same power do you not?¡± He asked now curious. Now that I saw his abilities he had full use of Sanite''s buffs and powers. The one ability that stood out to me Synchronize. ¡°Whats Synchronize?¡± I asked earnestly I couldn''t understand our power difference. ¡°Whahahahahahaha no wonder your so weak. Has Grena not given full access to her power?¡± He know seemed very entertained by it. ¡°No there is a limiter why do you ask?¡± ¡°Limiter I guess she thinks you need training wheels well I guess it cant be helped you are so young after all. Synchronize is where a champion for a period of time synchronizes with there god granting them unrivaled power. The time they can be synchronized is limited and uses a lot of the god''s power while they do it so you cant do it every day or every week for that matter. I actually just wasted my synchronization on you because I overestimated your abilities. Guess its better to be safe then sorry.¡± He continue explaining it. ¡°All champion''s have some object that links them to there demi-god. For me it was this golden watch I recovered on a dig site working for none other then Diana Jones at Mahouren. Did she not tell you guys she knew me? I bet she didn''t object to staying behind because she didn''t want to face me after what she did to me. This watch at one time belonged to Sanite himself and through this object I was able to become his champion. I activated it once you entered here. I still cant believe you thought you could defeat me without synchronizing. Not that you would have been able to¡± He arrogantly boasted. ¡°Grena I need synchronization please I have to beat him.¡± I asked Grena out loud much to Kormon''s amusement. ¡°Trying to talk to her that''s not going to work, you see while you have been down here I have sealed away psionic power. Haven''t you noticed she hasn''t communicated with you sense you entered the palace? Talking and synchronizing with her is simply impossible. Fortunately Sanite was a mage so our synchronization is unhindered.¡± Kormon now stated to walk over in my direction. I need to synchronize. knowing Kormon his barrier is probably located in this room. I calmed my senses and I tried to detect any psionic energy in the room. It was very difficult with all the residual magically interference in the room. A barrier this large has to be big I focused for a second and felt a residual psionic pulse on a statue near the pile of gold this is his barrier. I found it now I have to focus he was in between me and the statue. I pull out a high potion and drink it, Kormon didn''t stop me he arrogantly wanted to toy with me more. The potion healed me a decent amount I could breath normally again and my chest didn''t feel like I had a pile of bricks on it, but I still had a concussion. ¡°A high potion? Ready for round two then? Round one was so disappointing try to look sharp this time¡± He said pulling out his staff this time. He launched a massive fireball in my direction I cartwheeled out just in time. The fire was so hot that it melted the marble opening up throne room to the outside. It was a long way down from here. ¡°You could have killed me. I thought you need me alive you don''t make sense Kormon.¡± ¡°Well if you get injured bad I will just make that priest heal you. And if you die I have a resurrection scroll I can use on you. They are quite rare I will let you know.¡± He launched an ice spear this time that I cut in half with Tachi the force of the spear caused me to slide all the back into the giant whole inside the throne room from the previous fire ball. I pulled out my staff in my offhand and sent back towards Kormon a lightning bolt spell amped up by the staff. Kormon stood still and put up a barrier to block it, holding it against the crashing electricity. His barrier started to ween and finally broke and a tiny bit of the remaining spell landed home. He slightly grimaced when it hit him. ¡°Wow you actually broke through my barrier with that. Where is this power coming from? Don t tell that staff is what I think it is? A wooden staff with a blue gem, could it be the Sidhe Staff? I think that will be an excellent engagement gift to me!¡± Mazasius cast another spell this time it was a dark spell Void slash. Once again I dodge the spell and the spell ripped through the wall causing the hole to get a little bit larger. ¡°Your thinking I am just going to wait for his synchronization to wear off aren''t you? Valid strategy but I still have a long while to go. Anyways I have yet to get serious. I will toy with you a little longer, Lord Sanite is enjoying it as much as I am.¡± He now is casting a hybrid spell Ice storm volley its a level 5 hybrid spell water and wind. The spell creates a column of ice which after being created shatters into thousands of little pieces but the pieces are all the same they are super sharp icicles about 3 inches long. The wind around Kormon begins to circulate very rapidly creating a vortex of ice spinning around him at speeds so fast I couldn''t follow it with my eyes. All of sudden the vortex broke and was sent in about a 30 foot cone with me in the center. This was trouble, I casted an earthen wall spell and amped it up as much as I could. The result was an earthen wall that was 5 feet wide 4 feet thick and extended all the way to the ceiling. The icicles that were being launched had enough power to make it all the was to the end of the earthen wall and a few actually made it through one of them even landing a graze wound in the form of a small gash on my side. I wasn''t unscathed but that was a favorable outcome and I am assuming that this wasn''t the strongest spell in his arsenal. ¡°Nice earthen wall you were able to escape that with little injury, but I think the staff is too much for you. You wasted a lot of the walls energy making it so tall, when it would have been wiser to make it more thick. It appears you lack control. Some of my icicles were able to penetrate it so consider yourself lucky. Lets see you dodge this next spell this is one I created myself.¡± Mazasius started casting another spell this one appeared to be 3 element water, fire, and wind. In one of his hands he had a large fire ball, in the other was a large ball of water. In one motion he slammed the two together causing the two balls to become one larger ball of what looked like steam. Stepping back from the ball he did a single clap. With this wind started circling around the steam ball creating a vortex similar to the last spell but this one quickly shifted form and became a tornado. The tornado began spinning its way towards me. The tornado of steam looked extremely dangerous, anything caught up in that would by steam cooked well done. The mini-tornado didn''t wait for me to come up with a plan, as it quickly slid across the floor towards me. Fortunately I had a plan, the extremely tall earthen wall was made tall for a purpose. To cast shadows in this room with none. Right as I could feel the pull of the mini-tornado, I used shadowstep to jump to the statue. I quickly used icy touch to freeze the statue, then I followed up with a roundhouse kick shattering it. As Kormon turned around, he wore an expression I had only seen for the first time disbelief. ¡°How did you know where it was? You should have been totally blocked from Grena how could you tell specifically where it was?¡± Kormon looked at me. ¡°You are a fool for keeping this statue your trump card, here unprotected how stupid was that? I mean come on! All you had to do keep it hidden in another part of the palace and I would have been powerless to stop you.¡± I reply to him. ¡°Yes you are right I do have a problem of keeping my important things close to me. I was scared that if I fortified it you would easily figure out where it was. I thought I would be safe because blocked from the outside you shouldn''t have anyway to detect psionic essences but apparently you have a trick up your sleeve still. Now I must end this quickly before you have a chance to synchronize.¡± Feeling a sudden pressure right behind me I side rolled but this was a feint. I rolled right into a spell and a golden beam enveloped me, numbing all my senses for a brief period. I was flinching ready for pain from the beam to begin but there was none. As I opened my eyes I couldn''t believe what was in front of me. It was Akane-chan, we were in the hotel where we saw each other for the last time, our last conversation didn''t end on good terms. She looked at me with disgust. ¡°I cant believe you Taiko, you gave your life to save some women you had never meet before. I loved you with all my heart and this is how you repay me.¡± She was crying, I tried to reach out to her to comfort her but she slapped my hand away. ¡°Don t touch me why don''t you get all touchy feely with that Jennifer Centers girl. You clearly like her more then me!¡± She continued her crying. My heart was so tight, all this time I had not once realized what my actions that night must have done to Akane-chan. We had only been dating a briefly, but our love was genuine. We had our fights but so do any couple. With my death I am sure I caused her an insurmountable amount of grief. I was selfish to the very end. ¡°I am sorry I was not worthy of your love........¡± I said to her. ¡°How is sorry going to fix this your dead now, you don''t have to worry about all that I am going through. Was it worth it?¡± She stopped crying and looked at me. I genuinely thought for a second if I hadn''t done what I did then she would have died. My actions truly accomplished something. ¡°Yes I was able to save her after all.¡± I said not extremely proud at what I had done but with no regrets. ¡°Taiko-kun you are the worst.¡± With that Akane-chan took off through the door. ¡°Wait!¡± I said as I went to chase her through the door. As soon as I stepped through the door my surroundings changed as did I. I was now back in my Kara body but I seemed smaller. I turned around to see if the door was still there but there was no door to be found. Only the scene of a massacre by a river bank. The smell of burning bodies and the moans of dying men filled the air. Immediately I knew where I was this was the Massacre on the River Coll. I was the sole survivor of this blood bath three years ago. A familiar boy''s voice spoke out to me. I turned to look at him, he had a wound through his chest his blood was everywhere there is no way he should be alive. The boy was Mathias one of my guards when I left Toulia. ¡°How does it feel knowing you killed me? Do you feel any remorse? I had my whole life ahead of me and because of you it ended all too soon. All we had to do was run away back to Termain but you decided to seek revenge. Was sacrificing me to kill Roland worth it?¡± Mathias said to me turning his head to look at me while laying on the ground. ¡°I am sorry I shouldn''t have tried to seek revenge for William and his men. I was naive and filled with revenge. Please forgive me.¡± With this the weight of my actions became so heavy on me that my knees buckled and I fell to the ground kneeling. Then a second voice spoke out coming from the pile of burning bodies. A figure sat up from the pile of burning bodies unrecognizable except for his voice. It was Williams voice the man who was in charge of my escort. ¡°Are you also sorry for killing me and my men? Most of use had families and now our wives are widows and our children are fatherless was our deaths and their sorrows worth it for your vanity?¡± William asked. ¡°I don''t understand.......¡± I uttered slightly. ¡°Oh I think you understand perfectly. When your sister asked you to perform at the reception you could have simply refused. You knew that men like Darius and Kormon could potentially be there but you choose to do it anyways.¡± William said to me. ¡°I.. I was only trying to please Mandy.¡± I said more of to my self then William. ¡°That''s a lie and you know it! You wanted people to be enamored by you. You wanted to be on that stage, you wanted people to think of you as someone special. Remember how intoxicating the feeling of being up on that stage was, everyone speechless of your talent, enthralled by your angelic voice?¡± ¡°I..I am sorry. I am a terrible person¡± Once again the weight of my action fell upon my shoulders. This time I needed my hands to keep me from falling all the way to the ground. I was being crushed by my own regret, regret of pain I have caused others because of my actions. ¡°Kara.. Kara thou mustn''t be swallowed by Kormon''s illusion¡± A very distant voice called to me as if I was on the bottom of the ocean and she was on the surface. ¡°Kara thou must find me swiftly. Thy time to react to Kormon is drawing nigh thou must make haste.¡± Grena''s voice said to me. I felt the crushing feeling of regret left from me. Grena had saved me. I found myself in a white space filled with stuff that I have one time possessed. Books, weapon''s, clothes everything was in a huge pile before me jumbled up in one huge pile. Right in front of me was a small hand mirror but it didn''t show my reflection. Looking at it I could see a man approaching, it was Kormon. I must find Grena before he reaches me. I started tossing items everywhere in a panic searching for Grena and then it hit me. I wasn''t searching for an item within this pile I was searching for something within myself. Something that linked me and Grena our wrath. I thought about how Kormon was going to use me to kill my friends and family. How he had willingly sacrificed so many people to gain power. How I would be trapped in living hell if I failed. I got angry so angry that I almost lost myself but I didn''t I held on to one sliver of sanity. When I opened my eyes there was only one object left in the whole pile. The mask that I had bought in Moben, Grena''s mask. I walked over to it and picked it up, a quick glance at the ball confirmed that Kormon was almost to me. ¡°Thou realizes that after this synchronization, thou will begin to have dreams of my memories? Painful horrible dreams, that will forever mar thou and make thou more cold and disconnected then thou already is. Also thou''s memories will be accessible by me too.¡± ¡°Yes this is the burden I bear as your champion.¡± With that I put on her mask. Immediately I opened my eyes. My hand was on Kormon''s wrist who was trying to grab me. With my other hand that was at my side I went to push Kormon away. Before my hand reached him his body went flying back into the wall slamming him into it much harder then he had done to mine earlier with wind magic. Wait I didn''t use magic there, how did I? ¡°Thou has synchronized and this is part of thy power telekinesis.¡± Grena said to me her presence was within me. I could feel her thoughts and she could fell mine as we became one. ¡°Ugh that actually hurt. This has gotten a lot more troublesome then I thought Sanite. Time for plan B.¡± He pulled out some kind of device. ¡°Ok this device if activated will kill all your friends over there. I suggest you surrender.¡± He was not bluffing but I wasn''t going stop. I trust in Grena''s power. ¡°That device there feel its composition, down to the smallest detail. Focus and concentrate hard can you feel it? Since it has no mana inherently you should be able to do it.¡± I continue to stand completely still not to tip off Kormon. I can feel Grena''s power boosting my own and my sense have been heightened exponentially. It doesn''t take long until you can feel the presence of millions molecules being held together by an invisible force. ¡°Ok thou is going push all of them parts away from the middle simultaneously. This technique is called disperse¡± Grena instructed me. I apply pressure stretching the molecules to the breaking point and then in the center I release a explosion like force outward completely shattering the molecules form each other. It was very hard to do but Grena assisted me step by step within my mind. The device that was standing there a second ago had disappeared, in reality all its molecule had been separated simultaneously. Its molecules were still here but spread out among this gigantic room. ¡°Psionic power is truly amazing, I am afraid I may be no longer able to hold back against you. There is a very good chance you will die.¡± Kormon said to me again preparing another icicle attack like he did earlier this time the icicles were much bigger and more numerous. Also this time he was aiming at my companions. I step over to protect them. ¡°Pull as many of those gold pieces over here as thou can¡± I did as she commanded and managed to pull several thousand coins over. ¡°We will match his barrage. Counter all his icicles with the coins thou has gathered.¡± Once again a seemingly impossible task was possible with Grena''s assistance. It seemed unreal the rate which I was able to anticipate and react to every icicle. It was if time itself was being slowed. ¡°Thou is wrong it isn''t time being slowed its precognition. Thou is simply perceiving events before they happen. Anyways with these extra coins let me guide you with an attack.¡± After the barrage had been countered. The extra coins were sent at him in a ball as soon as we could read his movements, Grena had me do the opposite action that I had done with the dispersion. This action conglomerated the gold pieces into a spear made of gold. That lodged itself into Kormon''s heart. I was surprised he had one. Kormon slumped down. He pulled out a potion to drink but I simply pulled it from his hand and threw it splattering it on the wall behind him using telekinesis. He then started to crawl towards a spot close by him. He reached down onto the ground and I could see a magic circle light up but that was it. ¡°Oh I went ahead and destroyed the other end of it. There is no escape for you. Death is a toll that you must now pay.¡± He kind of chuckled to himself. It took a few more minutes but finally he died. Soon after a very ominous voice could be heard reverberating through the palace. ¡°You beat my champion, but the planetary alignment has yet to begin. I will have a chance to gain a new champion before then. You have only stalled me. My power has kept this palace together. I will now cut it off from me. Soon it will collapse on top of you and become your tomb.¡± With that the voice disappeared and a vibration went through the palace. We need to get out of here and quickly I started to feel Grena''s presence slip away from me as my mask fell from my face into my hands. ¡°My powers have been exhausted, it will take me a long time to recover. Unlike Sanite, whose powers can be tapped into regularly. Thy''s powers are not. It will be several moon cycles before I can even communicate with thou again. I ask thou one favor before I leave. The automaton you meet early that I saw in your recent memories. Help her escape too she knows a way out of here. If she doesn''t want to leave with thou, tell her that her master wouldn''t want to see her sweet Mebu be destroyed.¡± With that Grena slipped away. It is unfortunate because this place was going to collapse at any moment now and I could use her help. I go to help everyone escape there bonds. A few were still asleep even. We quickly regrouped and headed back to the library. The guards on the otherside of the door are all layed out dead, a repercussion from killing the owner of their command sigils. As we went through the hallway the rumbling continued. A few party members even fell down and got back up. We scurried our way to the library where I asked Libby to help us escape. Just as Grena told me she knew a way out of here. The library was a mess now basically all the books had fallen onto the ground from the building shaking. Libby lead us to another hidden compartment within the library hidden behind a different bookcase. On the ground there were strange looking crystals, Libby picked one up and placed it into a slot within the circle and the circle lit up. ¡°My master would often use this circle whenever she needed to do something outside the palace. It leads to the outside.¡± One by one all my companions went through it. Leaving just Libby and I as the last two. Chunks of the floor had started to fall down, this place was about to collapse. ¡°You will come with us?¡± I asked her as I approached the circle. ¡°I am sorry my life has no meaning without this library or my master. I hope you understand.¡± She said to me. ¡°That is unfortunate. I think your master would be very sad to know that her sweet Mebu choose to destroy herself instead of save herself.¡± I said to her with a big smile. ¡°Who told you that name!¡± Libby looked at me as serious as can be. ¡°Guess you will have to follow me if you want an answer.¡± I said as I stepped through the circle. Chapter 27 Raid Epilogue, Return to Zyrus Chapter 27 Raid Epilogue, Return to Zyrus After the pull of space-time settled I found myself in large room the two mages were using magic to light it and everyone else was sitting down and recuperating from the sprint from the throne room to the library we just did. No sooner did I stumble through another passed through the portal I knew Libby was going to take the bait. ¡°Ok I wasn''t asking questions earlier because we didn''t have time for it but who is this girl you keep talking to in a strange language?¡± Lux asked me but that wasn''t the only person wanting to talk to me. ¡°What was that weird magic you were using and why did you have a mask on?¡± Calidina was asking. ¡°You actually are a princess! Oh my Gosh I cant believe you were able to fool us all for so long. I guess being as strong as your are made it believable.¡± April piped in. ¡°Princess Lara I mean Kara....... I am disgusted with myself for not treating you with proper respect. Oh Tyr forgive me!¡± Reid didn''t really ask a question just sort of made an apology. ¡°Who told you that name! Only one person called me that name it was my master! How did you learn of it¡± This was Libby asking me in Karthian. ¡°Lara!¡± ¡°Kara!¡± ¡°Princess!¡± This barrage of questioning was more severe then Kormon''s icicle barrage! Just before my head exploded there was a shockwave that was strong enough to knock everybody on their butt. Following it was a large crashing noise. I guess the palace had fallen. Everyone collected themselves and returned their impromptu interrogation. ¡°We don''t have time to ask questions we need to regroup with the others and assure to there safety. Kormon knew we left people behind he may have sent his agents out against them.¡± I push the questions to the side for the moment. This room emptied out into a ruined building like most of this city. Thankfully the teleporter hadn''t been destroyed from age otherwise we would all be dead now. The ancient city is vast and trying to navigate to the theater would normally be difficult but I can weakly detect Skyler''s presence far away I am assuming it has to with the fact we are in a pact with each other. I use this ability to navigate us quickly towards our destination. It takes us almost an hour to reach the theater. When I arrive I see Oakheart had arrived, after greeting him briefly I head inside to check on our members. Siena quickly runs up and hugs me Diana seems to be sad about something and Grimblee seems to be well drunk. There are two people tied up John and ¡­........ Skyler where was Mabel? If she escaped I can kill her! ¡°Why is Skyler restrained? Did something happen? Also where is Mabel.¡± Now that I notice Siena has several scratches and bruises on her. Skyler is now thrashing in her chair. ¡°Let me out! I need to check on my dear Kara-Chan! Is this how you treat a princess?¡± ¡°Mabel escaped a while ago when that tree-ant arrived and we were all distracted. As for Skyler, she got a bit out of hand. About an hour after you left she said she changed her mind about being willing to stay behind. She became unreasonable, when the palace collapsed a little bit ago she became extremely dangerous but calmed down when she could sense your presence a little bit ago. Lara your ears......¡± After hugging me Siena seemed to notice that I didn''t have my ears on. ¡°Yea cats out of the bag now, also Diana why did you not tell us about Quinton before? You knew who he was didn''t you? I advise you not to lie to me¡± I turned my attention to the saddened Diana. ¡°Yes I knew very well who he was. He had successfully completed school at Mahouren and was working with my department as part of the excavation team. Suddenly after discovering a watch on one of our digs he refused to give it up for examination and disappeared with it. This operation was in no way set up with knowledge that he was involved. ¡± Diana said. ¡°So why did you not tell us about him that information could have been important dammit! You willingly stayed back because you didn''t want to dirty you hands¡± I was really pissed right now. ¡°Look we all hide stuff from others look you were even hiding what race you were to the guild and us. The reason I didn''t fight you on me staying behind is simple. There was no negotiating with him I learned that the hard way. If I was there I wouldn''t been able to fight him with all my power. I would have been a liability to the rest of you. About not telling you guys I apologize, however I doubt that I could have given much intel. All I knew was that he had gotten extremely powerful since getting that watch.¡± Although I wanted to punch her in the face I accepted her apology. ¡°Well if you want that watch, you will have to dig for it under tons of rubble. In fact since my cover is blown I suppose I will have to retire my position as an adventurer. It saddens me that this is likely my last quest as an adventurer. It was definitely a fun time, crazy time.¡± I knew this was the case before I started this adventure even if my cover was never blown. ¡°Don''t say that I am sure the guild will work something out with you. It would be foolish to let talent like yours go to waste, you probably will have to pay some fines or face a suspension though for lying to the guild though.¡± Diana tried to cheer me up. ¡°I don''t think you understand Diana the only reason I did this mission was because it was my last chance to do an adventure with my friend Siena. Now that these ruins are secure that adventure has come to an end. I am heading back to Zyrus briefly before heading east and dealing with a couple of royal families who have been missing their daughters.¡± I say as I start to head out. ¡°Wait we still have questions you intend to leave us in the dark about that crazy ass fight with Kormon? Also what about this girl who helped us escape.¡± Lux looked at me. ¡°You want me to explain? Kormon was a bad person and I killed him. What manner I killed him in is pointless. This girl was not affiliated with Kormon and helped us escape. I speak her language so she is following me for now, that is all you need to know about her. ¡± I cut Skyler''s restraints. As soon as I do she goes to hug tackle me but I skillfully sidestep her. I look back to Diana. ¡°This is my prisoner I will be taking him with me. You guys already let one prisoner get away I cant trust you with this one¡± I cut the end of is chain that is tied up to a post and grab it and pull John up to his feet. ¡°I will go with you back to Zyrus, I am getting sick of this place anyways I could use some fresh air from the surface.¡± Siena going to tag along I kinda figured that would happen. ¡°When are you going to tell me about how you knew stuff only my master knew?¡± Libby asked in Karthian. ¡°Like I said if you want to know you are going to have to follow me.¡± I replied in Karthian. Reid begged to follow me but asked him to stay and he reluctantly agreed. Diana also didn''t like the fact that Skyler didn''t have that big of an escort but I used my charm and convinced her that I would be able to guard her. Our group of 5 said quick goodbyes and departed. As for additional questions about what had happened I was very vague. ¡°What did she mean about a ''couple'' of royal families......¡± Diana said to herself ¡°Oh Lara I mean Kara is actually a Termain princess only 8 years old! She probably will go to Mahouren, I cant imagine how popular she will be. Like she will be more popular then I was there and that''s saying something. She is like already stronger then some of the instructors, beautiful as a goddess, and a princess by blood. Also she has the Sidhe Staff. I so want to see her in her uniform! Perhaps I will visit there as an alumni¡± April couldn''t help but get all excited thinking about Kara at Mahouren. ¡°Did you say Sidhe Staff?¡± Diana couldn''t believe her ears. After leaving the main group we began the long trek back to Zyrus. The whole walk Skyler was all over me, she had been relatively good so I let it slide. Libby continued to follow me seeking my answer to how I knew something I shouldn''t have been able to. Siena wanted to know why I brought John with us. She teased me that saying it must because I had the hots for him. John didn''t really talk that much but seemed to be enjoying leaving the cave as much as we all did. It took what was the better part of a day to get back to the surface. Fortunately Skyler, Siena and John were all well rested since they didn''t participate in the raid on the palace itself. As for Libby she was a machine, and me I had an enormous Stamina pool that regenerated rapidly. We made camp once we got close to the main road. As soon as everyone but Libby fell asleep I grabbed John who was still half asleep and started dragging him to the main road. He was very uneasy the whole time as I lead him into the night. As soon as we arrived I pulled out my Tachi and raised it up. ¡°So you were going to get rid of me after-all.¡± He said and turned his head away in fear. Ping. In one motion Tachi sliced down through his metal restraints binding his hands and they fell to the ground. Surprised John looked in shock at me, before he could say anything I threw him back his gear that I had confiscated as well as a bag I had made up for him. He wanted say something but before he could interject I went ahead and explained things for him. ¡°So this is the deal, I am letting you go. The bag I have given you contains a couple of potions in it. The first one is a detect monster potion, the second is a Stamina potion. I suggest you use both right away and hurry home before the effects wear off. Monsters typically stay away from the road but this is not always the case. Also inside is a bunch of gold do with it what you please, this payment for information about Kormon''s teleport circle that proved useful to me nothing more. Oh yea here is a torch too I forget you don''t see good at night.¡± After gathering everything and lighting his torch. He looked at me in a sort of daze. ¡°Whats the hold up? Go now before I change my mind.¡± I said to him seriously. ¡°Sorry its just when I lit the torch and looked at you. I realized that you were the most pretty girl I have ever seen.¡± When he said that my cheeks went bright red. Then I realized I was blushing but why should I care if someone thinks I am pretty? Oh he is in trouble now! ¡°I changed my mind I think execution is appropriate for your crimes.¡± I pulled out Tachi and I raised it up. John how ever could feel my killing intent and had started running away like a bat out of hell. I grabbed my crossbow and took aim however I was distracted before I could shoot. ¡°Will you now tell me how you knew my master nickname for me. It just us two now, and anyways the others don''t seem to understand my language.¡± Libby had followed me out here seeking an answer that I had put to the back-burner. I suppose I might as well get it out of the way. ¡°Grena told me your nickname.¡± I said plainly. ¡°Grena? That''s impossible my master has been dead for centuries I read about it after I got out of my hiding spot. She killed...¡± Libby began to say it.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°herself? Yeah that''s all true but she was a demigod. This Magnus dude forced her to ascend to demigod status and now her soul is attached to this world. She is sort of like a phantom right now and I have the ability to communicate with her.¡± I turned around and pulled down my pants and underwear to show her the pact sigil on my butt. I continued to explain. ¡°You see I am her champion.¡± ¡°You can speak with her?! What does she want me to do? How can I assist her?¡± Libby seemed very excited all of a sudden. ¡°I am sorry, I had to use a lot of her power in my fight with Kormon. Guy was a real handful. She drained herself pretty hard, I wont be able to communicate with her until she recovers probably in a few moons.¡± ¡°Is that so......Its ok I will assist you in the mean time. If I assist you, and you are assisting my master then indirectly I am assisting my master. However when you two are finally able to communicate please let me know.¡± Libby asked me. ¡°Sure thing just keep this whole thing a secret between us. Apparently being a champion to a demi-god makes you a target so I would prefer if that didn''t get out¡± I guess I have automaton serving me for now. ¡°How would I do that no one seems to speak Karthian.¡± She stated. ¡°Oh I will teach you how to speak common while we travel together. I am sure you will catch on quick.¡± She seemed happy that I would teach her common. I also planned to learn how to fix her up, perhaps when Grena recovers perhaps I will even be able to upgrade her. We headed back to camp together. Siena was awake. ¡°Cut your boyfriend loose?¡± She loves to tease me even though she knows I am royalty. ¡°Why don''t I cut you loose....... of your head. Maybe he just got away and I couldn''t track him?¡± I countered. ¡°In the middle of the night against you? That''s hilarious you expect me to believe that? Anyways I know deep down your a big softy. That kid was no soldier.¡± Siena was so proud of herself right now. ¡°So I been meaning to ask you what is the deal with you and that girl who only speaks the foreign language.¡± Siena stopped teasing me for a moment and asked a serious question. ¡°I found her in the palace, she is an automaton when the castle was collapsing I convinced her to follow me.¡± While I left out a few details what I said was all true. ¡°An automaton? That''s hard to believe, however I do recall that Karthians possessed advanced technology. You should probably keep the fact she is an automaton to yourself. Such a rare thing could draw unwanted attention¡± Siena now was looking at Libby with a very investigative eye. ¡°I am the only one who can communicate with her so she is sticking with me for now.¡± I explained the situation. ¡°I am tired so I am going to sleep.¡± I said goodnight and laid down. Waking up the next morning we continued our trek back to Zyrus. Skyler didn''t seem to like Libby at all. She was constantly grabbing on me as if claiming me. I was trying to teach Libby common while we traveled. She would ask me what things are called in common and I would tell her and Skyler seemed to get jealous of it. ¡°You two have a language you can speak with each other with and I don''t like it.¡± Skyler finally spoke out about it. ¡°I have a gift that lets me understand and communicate in different languages it is very useful. If you want I can talk with you in Draconian? Or perhaps another language you know besides common.¡± I smiled back at Skyler. ¡°You can speak Draconian? Why didn''t you tell me!¡± Skyler said in Draconian I replied to back. ¡°Well you didn''t ask. Anyways constantly switching between languages can get confusing.¡± I replied to her. ¡°So we have two languages which we can speak to each other in that is pretty useful.¡± Skyler said ¡°Tabun mou hitotsu mata¡± I say to her. This is Japanese for possibly another one. It is time to see if my suspicions about her were true. Literally stopping dead her in tracks Skyler looked at me as if she had seen a ghost. In fact we all had to stop to bring her back to her senses. It took awhile but the shock seemed to have died down and while she couldn''t muster anything but some tears we got her moving again. It is just as I thought Skyler was a Japanese reincarnated person too. ¡°Don''t worry we will talk about it later. I have several questions as I am sure you do as well.¡± All Skyler could to in response was nod her head as she continued to process what information she just received. ¡°So princess that''s how you learned Elven so quick, you didn''t actually learn but already knew it already from your gift. So all the grown up talks Zyra and I had you could understand them all?!¡± Siena interjected into the awkward silence and looked very concerned. Most likely due to the fact Siena loved to talk about all the guys she slept with to her friend Zyra. When they found out I spoke elven they made sure that I was not near them when they would discuss it however my sense of hearing is very good, so it was in vain. ¡°If you are talking about the detailed reports of your ''exploits'' and I don''t mean ones commissioned by the guild. No, don''t worry that kind of stuff doesn''t interest me so I tuned it out. However I did notice that Zyra would address you very formally in elven. Also your blade has the Amberwood stamp upon it. It is almost as if you were a member of an elven noble family.¡± The truth is I knew this before even listening in to their conversations. Siena''s full name was Siena Amberwood. I of course being the nosy person that I am looked up her family. The Amberwoods are indeed a very famous Elven house based in Rivenvale the elven capital. Her father Gallan Amberwood is possibly one of the most esteemed elven blacksmiths in all of Shima the Elven continent. Her mother Ava Amberwood is the retired former captain of the elven royal guard a heralded Blademaster nicknamed the Invisible Blade since her sword swings are so fast people cant see them. She has 5 brothers and 6 sisters of all varying ages, Siena being the youngest. Her family has very close ties to the elven royal family and several of her siblings serve at the highest level of Elven army and royal guard. Her siblings that don''t serve the army are all successful in varying lines of work. They are all highly esteemed except for Siena herself. Something must have happened that made her want to leave home perhaps it has to do with the person she knew who possessed psionic power. I can''t criticize her for being not being open about things since I myself keep things from her too. ¡°Hmm is that all you know Princess Kara? We never really discussed my past before, knowing you though you probably already know who I am.¡± Siena said as we continued to walk. I really dislike titles like princess or lady. ¡°Well I know about your family, but for the reason you decided to live a dangerous life and become an adventurer. Leaving your family and homeland that is still a mystery. However I have no intention to dig into it at all, I figure if it was important enough you would tell me yourself when you were ready.¡± I reply to Siena. ¡°I appreciate that princess Kara.¡± Siena replied not looking at me. ¡°Please stop calling me that! Its Kara or Lara if you prefer. ¡± Ugh now she had no reason to conceal my identity she has started addressing me formally as a princess. ¡°But it would be rude of me a noble woman, not to address a princess formally.¡± She replied with a big smile. ¡°The only reason you are doing it is because you know it bothers me and you love teasing me.¡± ¡°I cant help it princess you are so fun to tease. Anyways when we are in town I wont have a chance to tease you about it so I am getting it out of the way now.¡± She was really enjoying this We continued are journey back to Zyrus. Libby continued asking me about things to learn common. Siena continued to enjoy teasing me. Skyler still hadn''t said a word to me since I dropped a bomb shell on her earlier. There were several times she tried to but couldn''t seem to make the words out. Finally after almost 3 days we made it back to Zyrus. Siena broke off of our group to attend to business at the guild and check in with Zyra. Also I asked her to drop off a letter at the mage''s guild for me. I suppose its time to go home, perhaps I should warn these two about my master..... Actually I think I will let them forge there own opinions tehehe. We approach the mansion. Skyler had finally started talking again. ¡°Kara-Chan you stay in this place?? This place is extremely creepy I don''t like it.¡± Skyler said to me as we entered through the front gate ¡°Creepy? I use to think so too but after living here for a few years this place has kind of grown on me. I especially enjoy the gardens.¡± I say as I smell a rose that was on the path to the front door. ¡°Oh don''t forget to be polite to Jennifer-san. She will be hosting us for a while.¡± I say as I knock on the door. The door opened and I was greeted with a huge hug for Alex. Not very professional but I don''t mind, Alex and me are fairly close now. I missed her as much as she did me. We both share a deep love and respect for the same woman. ¡°Mistress Jennifer will be so pleased to see you. Oh I see you brought some friends as well. I must hurry to the kitchen, we didn''t anticipate so many guests. Jennifer is in her study I will come and get you when dinner is finally prepared. I shall send a couple of the maids come coordinate your outfits. After you talk to Jennifer.¡± Alex said and quickly left towards the direction of the kitchen. I lead Libby and Skyler to Jennifer''s Study. I knocked three time as was customary and waited for Jennifer''s go ahead to enter. As soon as I entered I got another hug from Jennifer as she had obviously missed me as much as Alex did. I half expected Skyler to get jealous but when I looked at her she was as white as when I dropped the line in Japanese . I forget how intimidating Jennifer''s presence can be, I probably was just as scared when I first entered this room a few years ago. ¡°Oh Lara you will have to introduce me to your friends.¡± Jennifer said as we sat down. I wonder who she is more intrigued with the girl with dragon blood or the automaton with no blood at all. ¡°This girl is Skyler and the one next to her is Libby. If it isn''t too much I was wondering if perhaps they can stay here as guests of mine while we figure things out with them. I will take full responsibility for them while they are here.¡± I ask as politely as possible. Jennifer doesn''t typically have house guests but it wasn''t something unheard of. ¡°Lara you don''t even need to ask. Friends of yours are friends of mine. They can stay here as long as they need we will gladly host them. Is there anything else you need of me before you go prepare for dinner?¡± ¡°Yes but it is a bit personal. Skyler and Libby would you mind stepping outside for a second?¡± I say to Skyler and Libby. Skyler zombie like got up and walked to the door. Libby didn''t understand the command so I gave it to her in Karthian, which she quickly replied to. Once they left the office I felt Jennifer activate the sound barrier. Our conversation would be private. With tears in my eyes I removed my choker that she had given to me and went to hand it to her. ¡°I had no idea you had a daughter, this choker belonged to her I cant possibly accept something so precious to you as a gift.¡± Jennifer looked at me with sad eyes and reached out to my hand holding the choker. She grabbed the choker and looked at it for a second. With a smile she took the choker and walked up to me and then proceeded to snap the choker back on me. ¡°You know you remind me of her a lot. Not only did she look similar to you, she also had the same dedication to training you have. She would have wanted you to have it too, it looks so cute on you....... Now I have to ask who did you ran into that knew about her and this choker?¡± Her mood changed drastically for the worse. ¡°He went by the name Ivan he said he was apart of the Steinberg Coven. He recognized the choker as your daughter''s and was trying to see get information about you from me. I slaughtered nine of his men before I engaged him however mid-fight he decided to run away and I was unfortunately unable to go track him down. I deeply apologize I have failed you.¡± I explained the encounter I had with the group of vampires at the palace. ¡°It is alright running away is one of Ivan''s specialties. So what did he tell you?¡± Jennifer''s mood had suddenly changed to something very scary. ¡°Well he told me that your daughter was killed in a kidnapping attempt. Also that Vladimir hasn''t forgotten about you.¡± I somehow said this through the most intense killing intent I have ever felt. ¡°Kidnapping attempt? That''s funny that bastard drank her dry.....she was only a few years older then you are now. When Vladimir drinks blood from someone he doesn''t stop until they are complete dry to the last drop. It doesn''t matter who they are human or vampire alike. His nickname is the Binge Drinker. He is extremely dangerous if you ever encounter him run away he is incredibly strong. A fight between him and me one versus one would definitely favor him by a decent margin.¡± Stronger then Jennifer? I will definitely have to look out for this guy. ¡°So on to a more cheery subject who are the two girls you picked up? I was very intrigued by the ones scent and the other one''s lack of a scent.¡± I was all too happy to answer her question that changed the current subject. ¡°Well Skyler is a dragonkin princess and Libby is actually an automaton. I had to pact with Skyler to save her life in Atlus and the automaton I convinced to follow me instead of having herself get destroyed when a palace was about to collapse on us.¡± I had Jennifer''s complete trust so she didn''t even question my story. ¡°So what do you plan to do with them?¡± Jennifer asked. ¡°Well it is almost that time....., so I figured Dragnor isn''t too far away from Lorrington I would probably take Skyler home when I leave for my home briefly before heading to Mahouren. As for Libby I am the only one who can communicate with her at the moment..... I have to protect her. I am stilling trying to figure out what to do with her¡± I say to Jennifer. ¡°Ugh do you really have to go? I am going to miss you so much!¡± Jennifer face looked sad again. She was giving me the sad puppy face. ¡°Look we discussed this many times already, goodbye doesn''t mean goodbye forever. I will write you atleast once a week.¡± I try to sooth it over with her. ¡°Twice a week! I want to know if you meet any cute boys.¡± When my expression seemed to sour she added ¡°or girls I suppose¡±. ¡°We still have a several weeks together before I plan to leave so lets just enjoy it while it lasts. I should probably go wash up and get dressed before dinner.¡± I bow to her and depart to the baths. I need to make sure the maids don''t freak out about Libby when they try to dress her, since she still has that opening in her abdomen. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mandy''s Pov Knock, Knock. ¡°Come in.¡± it appears I have a visitor or maybe a message. ¡°I have mail for you from the Zyrus branch of the mages guild.¡± It must be Kara! She has kept writing me letters to let me know she was alright. I wonder what is going on with her. I rip the letter out of the delivery man''s hand. ¡°Thank you¡± I say to him as he bow''s and leaves. I quickly open the letter and begin reading it. Dear Mandy, Usually I give you a brief update of how I am doing however this letter I wanted to explain to you why I choose to disappear several years ago. I know that these last few years have been difficult without me and I cant begin to describe the amount of guilt I feel for the grief I have put you all through with my apparent death. I full-heartedly apologize for that. However that is all I will apologize for. At your wedding almost 4 years ago I came to realization that this world is run by strong people, Darius made that clear to me. I was a naive and stupid princess, and made myself a target. My action''s cost the lives many of our country''s men, I was too weak to save even one of them from the mercenaries we encountered. After surviving that nightmare I made a decision, that if I was strong enough to defend myself no one would have to die for me ever again. So you ask why not get stronger back in Lorrington surely I had more resources to do it their? The answer I suppose is three fold. The first reason is because back in Lorrington I was never pushed, I did everything so well that all I would get would be praise. I quickly would surpass my instructors and everyone kept telling me how smart or talented I was, I needed to find a mentor who would tell I needed to work harder that I still had a long ways to go. I luckily found an excellent one and I was pushed to my utter limits. My growth accelerated magnitudes greater then before. The second reason I left was I wanted to travel and explore the world. I wanted to see first hand the suffering and joys that common people experience every day and experience them too right next to them. I had to work to eat and to have a place to stay. I had to defend myself against enemies, both monster and human. I also gained friends who were facing the same struggles themselves. This is something you cant teach in a class room and it gave me perspective of the world. The final reason was to protect you guys. If I was targeted again and any of you got hurt because of it I would never forgive myself. I needed to get strong enough to protect you guys if such an event ever occurred. My journey was both long and tedious. I don''t expect any of you to forgive me for what I have done. In fact if father asked me to renounce my royal title because of it I would do it without hesitation. If not I still care deeply about Termain and her people. I would work to get stronger so I could protect her from threats both seen and unseen and trust me the unseen threats are definitely real. The next step in me becoming stronger, is to optimize my talents as a mage. I have hit a wall in my own arcane training and Mahouren is best place for me to grow right now. I am almost 9 now and would be eligible to attend there this upcoming year. I will travel home before that to discuss things with our family and accept my punishment what ever that may be. I enjoyed my freedom while I had it and now it is time take responsibility for my actions. This will be my last letter for a while the journey across Solus is a long one and I have one stop before Lorrington. Feel free to warn father and forward him this letter, let him know that I wouldn''t let you tell anyone about me during this time out of fear I would cut communications. The only one who is guilty of any wrong doing is myself. Again I take full responsibillity. I love you always, your Kara pillow Chapter 28 Skyler the Slacker Princess Chapter 28 Skyler the Slacker Princess Skyler Pov 8 years ago. My name is Shoko Asano I am 25 years old and I am a classic example of a NEET well sort of anyway. My family is very wealthy and I don''t have to work. Not that I don''t make money myself, being a girl gamer has its benefits and I take full advantage. My stream channel is the number two stream in all of Japan. My identity on my stream is Dragongamergirl. The reason for dragon in my name was because I always loved dragons and have over 100 stuffed animal versions of them all in my bedroom, also I was born in the year of the dragon in the Chinese calendar. I even have a dragon tattoo as well as a very bad temper that is comparable to a dragon. I am decent at every game I played but not a pro by any means. The thing that keeps my stream going strong was......my boobs! I was fortunately blessed and cursed with double Ds. The back-pain sucked but I know for a fact that it has made my stream popular. I make enough money to support myself which upsets my family. They want me to do something more respectable and sustainable, but why should I bother when I can make a living broadcasting me playing games. All I have to do is interact with my viewers which I enjoy doing anyways. This is a dream job! Outside my stream I have a boyfriend. We have a somewhat rocky relationship. He hates it when I wear revealing outfits while I stream, and he also hates when I go ''physco mode''. I hate it when his sister is around, she is a total bro-con. He is too naive to stop her perverted advances. Anyways it is late tonight I had just finished streaming for like 10 hours and it was time to go get something to eat. I text my boyfriend. Since he doesn''t answer it within 1 minute I go ahead and call him. After 6 rings he answers. He is slow today something is up! ¡°Hey Sen its me why didn''t you respond to my text message?¡± I say to him slightly agitated. ¡°C''mon Shoko I was in the middle of something. I was about to respond to it when you called me.¡± He replied very defensively. ¡°Where are you?¡± I ask. ¡°...........at the movie theater¡± He replied after a brief pause. ¡°Who are you with?!¡± I grab my purse as I start hustling out the front door of my apartment. ¡°Shoko ease up I am with no one you should be concerned with.¡± After a brief I could hear a second voice belonging to his sister. ¡°Onii-sama who is that? Is it that Shoko bitch? Tell her we are watching a romance flick and she can piss off¡± I am going to kill that perverted sister of his! ¡°I am only here with my little sister Shiori. I was about to call you to hang out.¡± He tried to reassure me. ¡°Sen your little sister is the most concerning person in the whole world to me!¡± I hang up the phone as I hop on my bike in the direction of the movie theater Like a professional cyclist I barrel through the night air. People have to jump out of the way as I show no attempt to veer out of any of their paths. I think I will stab her with my switchblade in my pocket, or maybe suffocate her with a plastic bag? The whole time I try to plan the manner in which I am going to kill Shiori his little sister. Somehow I managed to make it to the theater in under 10 minutes. I jump off my bike and let it flop on to the grass totally unconcerned that it isn''t locked up and someone could steal it easily. I run into the theater even knocking over an elderly lady who was in my way. I never even look back at her to make sure she is alright. I look up at the movies playing the only romance flick had just gotten over. I hustle to the theater listed. After seeing how upset I was the ticket man didn''t dare try to get in my way. I arrive at the room that the romance was playing in, and it looks like it just ended. People were filing out into the lobby. I spot Sen with his sister. Shiori spots me to and grab''s Sen''s hand and yanks him to the exit. In pursuit I fight against the incoming current of bodies heading the opposite direction as me. I kick the exit door open for some bad-ass points. I then hustle forward to make up time I just lost fighting the crowd to the exit. Sen and Shiori have just crossed a busy intersection and I have to wait to go across it. I look up and down the street to find an opening in the traffic. The next few seconds changed everything. What I see not to far from me makes my heart go into my throat. A little girl was in the road going to grab what looked to be a dragon doll. Without thinking I go and sprint towards her. She had just picked up her doll and now was looking at a large truck heading towards her. I should be get to her in time to pick her up. Right before reaching her, something extremely embarrassing happens. My foot slips on a banana peel in the middle of the street! Banana peel-san was a total ninja blending in with the yellow road marking perfectly so I didn''t notice it before. Unbelievable somebody just threw there banana peel out their car window after eating it, hasn''t anyone ever seen western cartoons? A banana peel is guaranteed to ruin someone''s day or in this case life. All I could do now was to use what upper body strength I had to push the little girl out of the way. My head turned to the incoming truck. For a brief second the headlight''s looked like eyes, but not normal eyes they were green slanted dragon eyes. Then in an instant SMACK it was over. Damn how am I going to kill Shiori now? The blackness lasted for so long. It seemed like years. Did I somehow survive the truck accident and was in a Coma? After a long time I regained the sense of touch, all around me I felt a sticky liquid substance. The substance was warm. More time passed and I was able to move my arms and hands slightly, but something was off, if I was in a coma why was I in complete darkness when I opened my eyes slightly and why could I move my limbs. Perhaps this is just like in the light novels where you get reincarnated after getting hit by a truck. Yes I definitely got hit by a truck, that is a guaranteed one way ticket to being reincarnated in another world! Also another thing was off. If I was a baby in the womb why did I lack an umbilical cord? This question was finally answered after a while. I got big enough and I could feel the outside of the ''womb'' however I found that it was in fact no womb but a shell. Ewww was I some ugly reptile-san or maybe I was a birdy-chan? I didn''t feel scaly or feathery but without being able to look at myself in this darkness I couldn''t tell for sure. After some additional time I finally mustered enough strength to poke through the shell. After peeling away at the shell I finally ''hatched''. I could see myself for the first time I looked completely human, however I did not look like a newborn. I looked like I was about 3 years old, the next thing I looked at was around me. I was in a large room decorated immaculately. In front of me was a beautiful dragon gold and white. It was looking at me smiling. All of sudden its form began to change it shrunk in size and changed. The large dragon was now a woman with pale white skin, jet black hair and emerald green eyes. On top of her head was the most blinged out crown you could ever hope to see. ¡°You are the sole survivor of my latest clutch. I am Queen Alyssa, and you shall be called Skyler.¡± At the time I didn''t understand her words since it was a foreign language to me. However instinctually I knew that this woman was my new mother. Kara PoV current day Skyler and I had finally had a chance to go over our reincarnation story with each other. We had put it off till today the day we depart on our journey back east. I had won the rock paper scissors to go last. Lets just say she was not too happy she lost. She told me her story first. ¡°You were the Dragongamergirl? I actually watched your stream a few times. I liked it when you wore your cosplay outfits on stream¡± I vaguely remember her stream from my previous life I didn''t have tons of time to watch stuff like that but once in while I was able to. ¡°So you slipped on a banana peel were hit by a truck? What an embarrassing way to die hahahaha! You are definitely in a light novel or maybe a cartoon hahahahaha.¡± Skyler slapped me in the face so hard it did 100 damage straight to my hit points. I guess she didn''t find it as ironic or funny as I did. ¡°You are laughing about my death? Kara-chan you are too mean! Truck-kun is very op. I had a very comfortable life of fun and leisure and now its all gone¡± I could tell that the last 9 years have been hard on her. She was almost in tears thinking back to how good she had it. ¡°So you didn''t meet any god or deity when you died?¡± I asked her. ¡°Hmmm I don''t remember talking to any deity-sama. I do recall when I got hit by the truck seeing a pair of green dragon-like eyes flash in my vision temporarily before complete blackness. Also I have the blessing of the Azure dragon which is not a deity in this world. So I am guessing he has something to do with my reincarnation. Maybe down the road I will get some more answers¡± Well it makes sense now why she was reincarnated as a dragon. ¡°Enough I held up my end of the bargain it is time to tell me your story! Please don''t spare any details¡± Skyler looked at me patiently, I suppose she might kill me if I balked now. ¡°Well I was 21 years old I was going to school in Tokyo. The only family I had was my grandfather who ran a dojo in Kyoto that specialized Kobudo. Students attending his dojo were steady but not numerous so he would just get by. He was by no means a wealthy man. So to support myself going to school I worked a part-time job at a hotel. I was in a relationship with one of my co-workers and we had our struggles but had stayed together. Well one night I got asked to work late because a special VIP had shown up. I wanted to decline my boss but the guest was somebody I was a big fan of. It was none other then the American idol Jennifer Centers.¡± My story was interrupted by Skyler. ¡°Jennifer Centers?! I was a big fan of her too! I loved her song ''I am the only one''. Oh sorry I interrupted you please continue.¡± A bit annoyed by the interruption I continued. ¡°Like I was saying my boss asked me to work late because of her staying in the hotel was unexpected and I worked as security. When it became late during my shift I had to go to the restroom. Well it turns out that a squad of assassin''s decided to attack the hotel as I was in the bathroom their target was Jennifer-tan. Growing up I had trained hard in martial arts with my grandfather. I don''t want to boast but I was pretty much Dan status. I used my skills defeat the attackers, however I was fatally wounded in the final fight with their leader. It turns out Jennifer Centers was actually the daughter of Aphrodite and the attempt on her life was set up by a different god. So when I died she thanked me for saving her daughter, also I met with Ares too afterwords I was reincarnated as princess Kara.¡± I finish the story.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Wait, wait, wait I remember this! Taiko Yamamoto saves Jennifer Centers from attackers at a hotel in Tokyo. This was worldwide news several weeks before I died. Congratulations you had become famous worldwide! You were a national hero in Japan and thousands of people attended your funeral! Jennifer had just written a song about you in your honor! They had already started making a manga about you and an anime was in discussions. I remember thinking you looked really hot in your pictures so heroic, muscular, and manly. To think that the dreamy Taiko-sama used to watched my stream........ Wait hahahahahahaha!¡± Skyler now was laughing about my reincarnation realizing that I had changed genders after reincarnating. ¡°Now that I think about Jennifer Centers appearance, you basically look like a younger version of her. Were you such a big fan of Jennifer Centers that you wanted to become her carbon copy? How did you get god-sama to agree to such a perverted request of yours?¡± Skyler was accusing me of requesting this?! ¡°I never requested to be a girl! You think this is some sick kind of fantasy of mine? Somehow I was blessed by her and her blessings seems to make the person assume the goddess''s likeness. At first I hated being a girl but I have learned to adapt to it. There is no way that I know of for a human to change their actual gender in this world. Illusion magic is the closest but it is still fake and easily dispellable. So I suppose unless I can find a way to do it, I am stuck as a girl¡± I explain. ¡°If you found a way to do it, would you even go through with it?¡± Skyler asked me seriously. ¡°Of course why wouldn''t I? I was a guy after all. What a stupid question to ask pffft¡± I answered her. ¡°Hmm I am not convinced you would want to change back. I bet you even like being a girl more. There are numerous benefits. You get to wear cute outfits, everyone is polite to you, you get free stuff. People let you get away with things. Also love making as a girl has got to be way.....¡± I cut her off immediately. ¡°I have no intention of ever doing that.¡± I have to stop this conversation from heading down a Siena type route. ¡°So you have never once explored your..¡± Once again I had to interrupt her. ¡°Never have and never will! I am just shy of 9 years old that would be seriously wrong and disturbing. Going to the bathroom is the only interaction I have ever had or ever will have down there!¡± Skyler is such a pervert! ¡°Jeez ease up a little Kara-chan, you are so uptight! Your own body is your own body there is nothing wrong or perverted with understanding it better. Anyways I think you will come around Kara-chan! You say you have simply adapted to being a girl but I think there is more to it then that. I can tell you enjoy looking cute, I see you put in a lot of effort when picking out an outfit or styling your hair and you do a very good job. Its ok I will love you the same whether you go back to being a guy or decide to stay as a girl. However if it was up to me I would keep you as a girl, we would be able to have a lot more fun that way.¡± Skyler had a wicked smile or maybe it was a perverted smile. Since when is it a crime to look cute! ¡°Obviously you don''t know me as well as you think you do. ¡± I am starting to get upset, because I couldn''t totally dismiss her words one hundred percent. I suppose I have changed alot since becoming Kara. I am done with this topic for now. ¡°Anyways enough pillow talk we need to get ready to start our journey. If you want to talk to me in Japanese or English go ahead but try not to do it in public. We have a few things left to take care of and a few people to say goodbye to. You go get Libby I need to say goodbye to Jennifer and Alex. Meet me out front.¡± After breaking away from Skyler it was time to say goodbye to my master and good friend for what was likely atleast several years. She was about to leave to her shop for the day and she was in her office. I knocked three times and entered after getting permission. My mistress was as always dressed elegantly. ¡°So there is no way I can talk you into staying?¡± I figured she would try to convince me to stay but my mind has long been made up. ¡°I am afraid not, the path ahead of me is clear. You have been an amazing master to me these years, under your guidance I have grown strong. One day I hope to repay you. If you ever need me I am at your disposal.¡± I say to her with a smile. ¡°A princess at my disposal? What if I asked you do something that created a conflict of interest?¡± She was playing with me a bit. ¡°Come on, we both know you don''t like dealing with mundane things such as politics. Just be assured when push comes to shove I have your back.¡± ¡°Indeed I really don''t care about politics in the slightest and neither do you. It is kind of why I am surprised you are going home in the first place.¡± She was right I truly did despise politics. ¡°Well just because I dislike playing politics doesn''t mean I am not good at playing them. Don''t worry I have an several aces hidden up my sleeve if I need them. My path to become stronger right now is through magic school. If I can harness my power to its fullest perhaps I can save this world from the coming calamity that the next alignment will bring.¡± I pause for a second and give her two large bottles that I had hidden behind my back. Jennifer looks at them and when she opens on to smell it she almost collapses. ¡°I have been preparing these farewell gifts for a couple years now. Every night you would drain me before I went to sleep, however you never drained me to the point of uncomfortability. After heading to my room I would siphon that extra blood you left in me and collected it. Constantly being totally drained caused my constitution to work even harder. I have developed rapid regeneration as a byproduct. Anyways using alchemy and the blood I siphoned from my self. I have created concentrated blood. One sip should sate your thirst for almost a full moon cycle. Now you can give poor Alex a rest if she needs it. Should be enough in those two bottles to last several years. If you choose to live solely off them¡± Jennifer took one sip and recapped the bottle. ¡°Incredible! I didn''t think you blood could taste any better. A bottle like this to a wealthy vampire would be worth tens of thousands of coin. Anyways I have prepared you a parting gift as well.¡± She sat up and opened her workstation in her office sitting on her table was a familiar uniform. It was a sailor uniform from Mahouren. Apparently the Mahouren uniform has been the same for centuries. Sage Jayce Banth was definitely Japanese because the white and navy blue outfit would fit right in at a cosplay. The white blouse with a striped collar and matching bow-tie, as well as the short skirt and matching knee high socks. I am going to have suffer because founder-sama had a certain fetish.... No school in my old world would use such a perverted outfit as a uniform. However I was no longer in my old world. Something about this particular outfit was different though it had a magic to it. ¡°Go ahead and put it on¡± Jennifer encouraged me. When I put my hand on it I felt and incredible synergization between the fabric and my skin. It was as similar feeling when I casted using a staff. I quickly undressed and slipped it on. The outfit fit on me perfectly as expected of a level 10 tailor. ¡°This uniform is made out of Emberworm silk. It should enhance you magic substantially synrgizing with your magic pathways. Also this silk is as hard as dragon scales, you would need atleast a blade made out of adamantium like your Tachi to even put a tear in it. I have enchanted it in several ways. First the pockets are enchanted with space time magic so you can have truly deep pockets now. Second it has an overall boost to your physical abilities. Finally I have added in enchant that automatically adjust the outfit as you grow to fit perfectly.¡± I cant believe she is giving me such a valuable gift. The material''s alone are worth thousands of gold. ¡°You are too kind! An enchant to make it grow with me how cool. So it will automatically adjust when I get taller. Thank you!¡± I couldn''t help but hug her. ¡°Not just taller but......wider in some place too.¡± She was specifically looking at my butt, hips, and my chest. ¡°What do you mean wider?¡± I looked back at her. ¡°Well Kara I have meet both your Mother and sister and they are both well endowed in certain areas I am sure you will follow suit.¡± This didn''t make me very excited all. ¡°God I hope not. Breasts would really get in the way when I am fighting especially swinging a sword. I wonder if there is breast reduction magic.........Well anyways I really need to get going. Don''t forget to read the book I left you in the basement outside the barrier. It is linked to my journal so we will be able to stay in contact with each other constantly.¡± I replied. I hugged her one last time. After departing her study I said farewell to Alex as well. Hopefully I can find an opportunity to visit them in the future. Jennifer had set us up with a wagon to transport us and our stuff that we couldn''t store in spacial ring. I bid my farewell to Zyra and Sarah. Siena was going to meet us at the stables to send us off. Finally arriving at the stables I found Siena by our wagon. ¡°Well you guys ready to hit the road?¡± Siena asked. She was dressed in her full armor and I recognized some chests that did not belong to Skyler, Libby or me in the wagon. I gave her an appraising look. ¡°You are coming with us aren''t you?¡± I asked. ¡°I have been commissioned by the guild to escort you cute girls. I believe it was your friend Jennifer who put in the request.¡± ¡°So that is why Zyra and you had that super long hug at our going away party yesterday. It wasn''t just a going away for us but you as well.¡± I said to Siena who was checking to make sure the wagon was in working order. ¡°You realize that this is a one-way trip for us. We are not returning for likely several years and that would be only to visit. Once I am at school you wont be able to contact me regularly. On top of that our journey is not a straight shot we are making one stop close to dragon territory, afterwards once I return to Lorrington I will have guards keeping us apart. Mahouren strictly enforces entrance into the academy, and the age limit to enter as a first year is 10 you are closer to 110.......You are making a big mistake. Taking on this request to spend more time with me is short-sighted. Withdraw from this request I will pay the fee I am more the capable of protecting Skyler and Libby.¡± I say all this to Siena for her own good. ¡°Oh Kara you are so brave my dear Dragoon!¡± Skyler is now hugging my arm. ¡°Who said I took this request to spend time with you? I am a rank S adventurer now I will have you know! Withdrawing at this hour would surely tarnish my reputation! Plus I have to confirm the rumor that April told me. She said that Toulia was home to the hottest men in all of Solus!¡± Siena''s eyes lit up when she said that last part. Why is she delaying our break? Why put it off? Why waste all that time traveling back after I go to school? ¡°There is no changing your mind is there?¡± I ask one more time. ¡°No¡± Siena answered me very matterfactly. Oh well I did warn her. We finally departed Zyrus. I had truly enjoyed my time here, the people I had met. The struggles I endured. I came out here seeking strength. I was now level 58 but my actual strength was probably around level 80 or 90 stat-wise. Once you hit level 100 leveling slows down dramatically and very few people even reach that level. I was strong enough now where people like Darius wouldn''t be able to strong-arm me any more. It would take a real monster like Vladimir, Jennifer, or Kormon to do that. Our wagon traveled without trouble through the Calipis Empire. After 4 days we entered the country of Valsey. We had traveled in Valsey for a few days. Only one bandit group was unfortunate enough to try and rob us. After seeing me kill their leader in under 1 second they scattered like flies. Meanwhile Siena was busy trying to pick out an outfit for when we arrived in Moben tonight. Rank S adventurer cares more about her nightlife then her mission! Our visit in Moben was fun. I was able to acquire quite a few rare alchemy ingredient''s native to this area. The alchemist was quite befuddled because my bill ended up being close to 300 gold and I paid it like it was nothing. I don''t want to brag but working with the assassin''s guild had made me quite the wealthy girl. Gold literally meant nothing to me. I had almost 20,000 gold. However if you included my assets I maybe had 100k worth of stuff and I had no idea what my weapons were worth. If someone was able to snag my spacial ring and break my enchant protecting it they would literally shit themselves. I also bought Skyler a sword made from dark-iron, through my gift my ability to appraise is unrivaled. The blacksmith complimented me on my eye for quality. After haggling him to for a good deal, he mentioned that my silver tongue might give my eye a run for its money. After buying Skyler and Libby some fancy clothing, I next tried to track down the mask vendor who sold me Grena''s mask when I traveled through here several years ago. I had several questions for him. The craziest thing was no one knew who I was talking about. I remembered his name it was Tichus oddly I don''t remember his last name and he was only level 30. I didn''t bother looking any further through his status which I now regret. I understand that vendor stalls must change quite frequently. Eventually I found someone who had a clue about him. ¡°Tichus? I don''t think I have heard of him however, if he came in suddenly then disappeared suddenly he maybe the Wandering merchant. There is a longtime myth among merchants of a merchant who travels around selling legendary artifacts. The thing is the artifact is mixed up with a bunch of regular stuff of the same type as the artifact. Once the legendary item is finally sold he disappears and eventually pops up in another town after a long time with a new artifact. This is of course is just a myth.¡± I don''t get it when I look at my mask it doesn''t say anything about being a legendary artifact. All it says is Mask of Grena. I will have to do more research on this. We returned to our hotel room and retired for the night. Tomorrow we were back on the road again. Another 5 days as we traveled through Valsey. No real trouble came our way and we finally reached a town on the edge of Valsey Lamos. Lamos was also right next to the Dragnor mountains and there was a path going up the mountains where some monks who worshiped the dragon''s lived. I figured we would keep our wagon here while we traveled up the mountain. We would meet with the monks and see where we would have to go to bring Skyler back to her family. The Dragnor mountains were sure beautiful, people seldom come here though because the dragons are extremely territorial and anti-social. Only when there was a crisis that threatened the whole of Solus such as a demon invasion would they get involved with politics. After hiking for several hours our party of Siena, Skyler, Libby, and me arrived at the monk''s temple. As we walked in every single monk started to prostrate down to us. Did they know who Skyler was perhaps? The statues were extremely detailed there were statues of both dragons and what looked like dragoons too. Once inside there were was one large statue of a woman riding a dragon fighting what looked to be a humongous demon. She looked a lot alike what Jennifer Centers looked like alas what I would end up looking like, a true blonde beauty. The Dragon she was riding on was majestic full clad in armor on top of its dragon scales. A monk inside of the temple who looked different from the other monks came up to us and prostrated himself like the other monks. ¡°Umm you don''t have to bow to us please rise. We came looking for answers.¡± The monk rose up. ¡°I apologize its just we monks recognize a dragon''s mana as it leaks out and it is customary for us to greet them respectfully. However that is not all, young girl you are extremely similar to the legendary Dragoon Vivaca. I am afraid it cant help be helped, the monks are also bowing to you.¡± The monk explained. ¡°Skyler? Why wasn''t this told to me earlier.¡± I asked her very annoyed right now. ¡°Oh to be honest I had no idea. They tried teaching me the history of dragons and dragoons alike but I honestly paid no attention. I guess I am a real slacker tehe.¡± I had researched dragoons when I returned to Zyrus. I did know of Vivaca as she was the most famous dragoon but I had no idea that she resembled me in such a way. I suppose this may make our meeting with the dragons more interesting and troublesome. Not that I particularly minded just annoyed at slacker-chan. ¡°Anyways we have come here to find a way up the top of these mountains. Skyler needs to let her family know she is alright.¡± I explain to him our visit. ¡° Well I think we can help you.¡± The monk walked up to a extremely large horn that coiled itself up and out of the roof of the ceiling. He blew into it and it blared an extremely low pitch out. It was so loud it hurt my ears for a second. He then gestured us to follow him through an ornated door. It emptied into a large open space behind the temple. The area back here was extremely flat there were a few statues but they were all on the side. The monk once again prostrated himself. In the distance I could see a small shape. It gradually got bigger and bigger and I could tell it was a dragon. The dragon was silver and it landed right in the open area we were in. The dragon spoke in draconic. ¡°Monk why have I been summoned here? Oh never mind I recognize that girl as Skyler the lost princess she is coming with me. These other 3 are not allowed to come to the dragon city however.¡± Right after the dragon said that Skyler interjected. ¡°Simone, as princess surely I can bring guests with me and besides this blonde is my dragoon she is ? Kara-chan?¡± She once again hugged my arm as if claiming me. ¡°The rules are not different for royalty, however if this girl is indeed your dragoon we have a problem. Dragoons are indeed allowed in. However the dragoon still has to pass the trial to be recognized as such. You have already pacted?¡± Simone asked. To which Skyler proudly showed her pact sigil on her hand. ¡°Skyler you have doomed this poor girl. The trial of Dragoon is a deadly one only one out of hundreds pass it and those whom fail all die. Unfortunately young girl you must come with me too we must meet the queen and decide what to do. Our traditions are absolute.¡± Simone said. ¡°Skyler you didn''t mention any trial!¡± I say once again annoyed. ¡°Yea I did mention I was a slacker who didn''t pay attention to our history and tradition being taught to me right?¡± She said with an apologetic look. Damn slacker-chan strikes again. None the less this brought a smile to my face. ¡°A difficult trial you say? Only one out of hundreds pass? This sounds fun to me I accept!¡± I looked back to Siena and Libby. ¡°Siena look after Libby while we straighten this all out. It shouldn''t take too long.¡± Siena didn''t seem happy at all. Skyler and I hopped onto Simone''s back and waved goodbye. A extremely difficult trial that only few ever pass this sounds right up my alley. Time to meet Skyler''s mother Queen Alyssa. Chapter 29 The Trial of Dragoon Chapter 29 The trial of Dragoon Skyler and I walked up to Simone, he leaned down so we could climb up on his back. After getting a good grip on him he began to fly. His powerful wings began to flap and we steadily began to gain altitude I looked down as Libby, Siena and the head monk, their figures began to get smaller and smaller. Simon now began to fly very fast towards the east. I had to hold on tightly to avoid getting blown off. The mountains were surely epic, I remember seeing them when I was in Toulia for the first time and I always wanted to see them up close. Simone continued flying for another few minutes at unthinkable speeds the distance that we traveled in that short amount of time was astounding. On the horizon I could make out a white shining city built on a lake. In the air around us were dragons of all colors and sizes. Some were armored others were not. The building''s themselves were built like towers on this majestic lake. This city was incredible, breathtaking even. It wasn''t near as big as Zyrus or Toulia but was none the less equal to them in intrigue. The name of place is Aussir Taoul I remember reading about this place in a book, and at the time I wasn''t sure if this place actually existed. At the heart of the city was what looked to be a palace like structure there was a large landing area to side of it this is where Simone went to land. After setting us down Simone began to change form, he shrunk down to his human form. In his human form he was quite tall and lean. His hair retained his the silver color of his dragon form and his hair was long extending down his back. His face was smooth and unemotional half covered by his bangs that slanted down to the right on his face. He carried with him a blue spear that I could see frost emanate off of. He looked like he belonged in a rpg, I suppose you could even classify him as an ikeman. Two guards approached us. ¡°Sir Simone what brings you to the palace today?¡± They saluted him before asking him his business. ¡°Fools don''t you recognize members of the royal family.¡± He then pointed to Skyler who was slightly blushing. The two guards bowed deeply. ¡°Princess please forgive our mistake you are free to pass and welcome back we were all concerned about you.¡± They opened the gate into the palace. ¡°Skyler why do dragons stay in human form? Wouldn''t they prefer to stay in dragon form?¡± I whispered to her. ¡°Well I actually know this one! It is because dragon-form uses a lot of mana so lower level dragons stay in this form more often. Also being a large dragon wouldn''t allow you to enter building''s like this. To be honest most of our time is in human form for the convenience.¡± ¡°I see¡± I guess it makes sense if you can change form quickly what is the point of staying in dragon form and wasting resources. I always thought that dragons lived in caves but it seems that is not true. Their society was so secret that I had found little information about them in the libraries. Pretty much they stay isolated unless a grave threat that needed everyone to combat arises. We walked with Simone through the dragon palace. It seemed like the throne room was here on the first floor. I suppose the many floors above it are for personal quarters and various other rooms. After talking to some guards in front of the throne room we entered. A gorgeous women with jet black hair pale white skin and green emerald eyes looked at us. In an instant and I mean literally instantaneously she ran up and hugged Skyler. ¡°Skyler I am so glad! When that traitor kidnapped you we had some of our agents look for you with no success. When I finally capture him I will make him beg for death!¡± This woman is very scary she is a level 130 gold/black elder dragon. I cant imagine how strong she is in dragon form I finally have encountered a stronger person then Mistress Jennifer. ¡°Simone why have you brought this human girl too. You of all people know the rules of this place.¡± The Queen looked at Simone who looked scared shitless before he could answer Skyler interjected. ¡°She is my dragoon, I was in a situation where my kidnappers were draining my blood and mana. When she arrived they were almost complete with their ritual. After killing the priests performing the ritual, she came to me to heal me. Using high quality potions she sealed my wound and restored some of my health however the ritual had drained my mana pool through capacity and I was losing health every second because of it. Since a new potion in such a short time from the last one would have had no effect she came up with a way to save me. A blood pact.¡± Skyler then showed her the pact sigil on her hand. ¡°So in order to save her you pacted with her? That is insane performing a blood pact with a dragon is no easy feat you would need to be quite knowledgeable of the pact circle. Also not any one is able to pact with a dragon you would have to be a worthy person, one with proper ancestry. This is truly a unique situation what is your name young girl.¡± The queen now fixed her gaze on me I could feel analyze hit me with no success. ¡°Queen Alyssa it is a honor to meet you. I am Kara Rosewood third princess of Termain. What Skyler said is true. If only I had the ingredient''s to make mana potions I would not have had to pact with her to save her. Unfortunately this was the only way at the time.¡± I said to her. ¡°A princess!? This complicates things even further! Anyways I am familiar with the condition you described. I am grateful you were able to save her however this creates some issues. First a pact with a dragoon is pretty much the equivalent to marriage in our society Skyler and you are now linked until one of you dies. It doesn''t matter that you are both girls or both princesses. Don''t worry you two can still take on concubines to serve you, in fact if you want you could even build you own harem. The important thing is that you two are always there for one another.¡± The queen continued. ¡°That issue is very easy to deal with. The bigger issue is Kara will have to pass the Trial of Dragoon to fully become a dragoon. The trial is extremely difficult and failure means death and Kara is a princess so that creates issues. Kara I cant read your status but you cant be much older then 12, a young human of your age would stand no chance of passing it. I am not in charge of the dragoons they are ran by the current head dragoon the Red Knight Alma. Fortunately she is around with your brother Drexel. Once we explain the situation perhaps we can figure out where we go from here.¡± ¡°Ugh I hate them both.¡± Skyler moaned at the mention of Alma and Drexel. Under Alyssa a magic circle formed expanding under us as well. The feel of space-time magic could be felt and suddenly we were pulled into a large training area. There was a large building behind it and at the front was a huge statue of Vivaca. In the middle of the training area there was a woman with red armor fighting a white dragon. She was using a large spear that appeared to be enchanted with fire. The fight was quite epic the dragon attacked relentlessly with claws and whipping its tail but the girl was able to match him with her spear. She backed up said ¡°Blood of the dragons¡± and her aura became even stronger almost oppressive.. On her back two wings sprouted out they were pure red and aflame. She then began to fly up into the air the white dragon followed. The fight now airborne sped up substantially. From the ground it looked like one large white streak fighting a smaller red streak each time the two collide sparks would collide sparks would fall from the sky like a firework. Finally the two streaks collided and started to descend to the ground. Boom! As the two collided to the ground the red armored girl had her spear pointed at the dragon''s chest. ¡°Another victory for me Drexel.¡± She said as the dragon changed form into a man with long black hair like Alyssa but with Blue eyes. He had on white armor with dragon symbol on it. ¡°Well with that loss we are tied again 272-272 and 12 draws. Oh mother is here Alma.¡± Drexel said looking over to us. Alma and him walked over and bowed to Alyssa. ¡°Greetings Mother, I see we have successfully rescued my slacker of a sister and who is this girl next to her?¡± Drexel turned his look to me. ¡°This girl is pacted with your sister, she saved her life her name is Kara.¡± Queen Alyssa stated. ¡°Why would you pact with her? You clearly are too young to be a dragoon and beyond that Skyler is the weakest even among her age group. She has a lot of natural talents but she is lazy and spoiled. ¡± Alma piped in. ¡°I pacted with her to save her life ok? Anyways is there no decorum for royalty? I don''t appreciate you making fun of my friend. ¡± I look at Alma dead in the eyes. ¡°Decorum? I am pacted with Drexel here therefore even as a dragoon I am still equivalent to her older sister. Other then that what I speak is true maybe she will heed my words and try harder .¡± Alma was still focusing on me. I could fill Skyler''s killing intent start to flair up next to me. ¡°Calm down you two. Like I said earlier how do want to handle this? You are in charge of the Dragoons Alma. This girl is pacted but yet to pass the trial of dragoon. The circumstances of her pact are unconventional also this girl is a princess if she were to die in the trial of Dragoon it create a potential political issue.¡± Alyssa asked Alma her opinion. ¡°Well typically when one pacts to become a dragoon they have to train for several years to get strong enough and knowledgeable for the trial. However since this girl is so young maybe it will take a decade for her to get that level. I doubt the other dragoons would have issue considering the circumstances of her pact. As for being royalty, that is of no concern to us she can write to her family to let them know she is alright. However in the likely event she dies in training or the trial if her country retaliates we will have no choice but to destroy any army that comes our way. Any assault on these mountains is suicide anyways so I doubt they would be stupid enough to try that¡± Alma stated plainly. ¡°What do I have to do be able to do the Trial? I don''t have a decade to do some training. I am much more capable then you give me credit for¡± I have a little over a month before the new year starts at Mahouren and I will need most of that time for travel. ¡°The amount of training is arbitrary. You are ready when I deem it.¡± Alma replied. ¡°So if I were to beat you in a duel then would I garner your blessing? I can fight Drexel too if you prefer. You both are slightly stronger then me but I think I can pull it off.¡± Alma was level 75 and Drexel level 66 but both were equivalent to someone around level 85 based on there stats. ¡°HAHAHAHA! Kid how old are you?¡± Alma asked me seriously. ¡°I turn 9 before this next moon. In fact I am only a little bit older then Skyler.¡± I say to Alma''s amusement. ¡°That is less then I thought you were, maybe one day you will be able to hang with me but there is no way you would last 10 seconds against me. You have guts though and I like that. But it would be stupid and potential fatal to duel me¡± I am being coddled again this is very upsetting. Time let her know that I am serious. ¡°Kara please don''t do this if you get yourself killed or hurt bad I don''t know what I will do! Alma has killed people in duels before not intentionally but because of her immense strength.¡± Skyler actually was tearing up. She doesn''t get me yet but eventually she will. I usually conceal my mana leaking for two reasons. First it gives away my position and strength. Second around me becomes so intense that lower level people can pass out from its potency. I let the flood gates open and I also add to it extreme killing intent letting Alma know how serious I really am. ¡°I think you gravely underestimate me. Think you can beat me in 10 seconds then prove it, or are you all talk and no action.¡± Skyler had to back away from me it was too much for her to stand at her level. ¡°Whoa how surprising! What monstrous mana and killing intent how were you concealing it so perfectly earlier? You must have trained really hard to be so effective at mana-conceilment. Also those deep blue eyes of yours are not those of a innocent 9 year old those are the eyes of one who has seen many battles and ended many lives. Where do you draw all this power from.... What an interesting little girl you are. Alright I will duel you to show you how wide the gap is between us but know if I kill you I take no responsibility I could care less if you carry any noble or royal title.¡± If I didn''t have Alma''s full attention before I did now. ¡°So its settled then perhaps we should take this duel out of the city. I would hate to have you hold back in order to avoid destruction to the city.¡± To this she smirked. ¡°But I enjoy destruction I am the red knight after all however there is some wisdom of your words. As you wish Queen Alyssa can you take us to your personal training grounds.¡± Alma asked. ¡°If that is what you wish. Are you sure about this Kara? Alma is strong, I must admit that I am curious about you. That killing intent you were able to produce just then from someone as young as you is inconceivable.¡± She wanted to double check. ¡°An opponent being strong is even more incentive for me to fight them. Please Queen Alyssa teleport us¡± Fighting someone skilled enough to present a challenge to me is the best. Better then any drug, better then any thrill ride, better then even sex. Alma will hopefully give that to me. After being satisfied with my answer she transferred us to a large open plains-like area. Alma was about 20 meters away from me. Skyler, Drexel and her mother were in a booth like structure looking down on us. ¡°Last chance to withdraw I don''t wasn''t to hurt a child, but you have to understand that you are not prepared for the trials. Going too early will lead to your death. You only get one chance at the trials so please understand this for your own good.¡± Alma once again was trying to coddle me. ¡°You don''t want to hurt me? That should be the least of your worries. I am confident in the queen''s healing skills and anyways if you don''t take me serious right away you will lose. Start when ever.¡± ¡°Very well Kara Yiaahhhh!¡± Alma charged forward at me at lightning like speed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Queen Alyssa PoV I can''t believe this is happening a young girl only 9 years just challenged the current Leader of the dragoons the Red Knight Alma. Realistically when Alma said she would win in 10 seconds that was too generous. However I was totally unable to read Kara''s status with a level 9 spell so I have no idea what her abilities actually are, I wonder what enchant or gift she is using. Also she was able to rescue my daughter from kidnappers who I am sure were no slouches. ¡°Please stop them! If Kara dies I don''t know what I will do. Alma wont hold back even if its against a child. Mother please!¡± Skyler pleaded to me. ¡°Yea this whole duel is stupid I don''t understand what that little girl is thinking. ¡± Drexel let us know that he thought this was a waste of time. ¡°It is not my place to step in on the matters of the dragoons. Dragoon''s hold an important place in our society and they are exceedingly rare. Anyways this Kara you are pacted with is very mysterious perhaps we can discover some things about her if the duel lasts long enough.¡± ¡°From what our friend Siena said Kara loves fighting above all. The stronger the opponent the better, I have only seen her fight a few times and she is scary but Alma is scary too¡± Skyler added. ¡°As long as she doesn''t die instantly I can heal any injury. As for stopping this duel it is impossible now just sit back and enjoy the fight.¡± Both fighters were talking to each other Alma was once again trying to talk Kara out of this meaningless duel. Kara had challenged her honor as a dragoon, she had no choice but to entertain this bout. Refusing to budge. The duel finally started. ¡°Very well Kara Yiaahhhh!¡± Alma accelerated at full speed and in under one second and impaled Kara through the middle of the chest. Was that even a second? ¡°Too easy.......wait what?¡± Alma noticed that the Kara she had just impaled was just a simple illusion. Incredible such a simple illusion even had me fooled. How did she have time to set that up? The real Kara didn''t miss this opportunity and slashed at Alma''s midsection. Alma was able to rotate her body to minimize damage but there was damage even through her dragon-scale armor as I could see blood gush out on the ground. That sword Kara wields looks familiar to what a former Hero I met centuries ago I believe he called it a katana. Before Alma could recover from being staggered from the vicious strike Kara slashed again however Alma was not caught off guard and swung back. CLING the sound rung out loud through the whole area. Both fighter were pushed backward around the same distance back from each other. ¡°What a cheap trick! ¡± Drexel apparently disliked the tactic that Kara just used. ¡°Ten seconds are up, are you still going to not take me seriously? Here maybe I can cut some sense into you.¡± Kara taunted Alma again and before she could respond Kara teleported right up to Alma swung her blade to which Alma parried however the swing was only using one hand and her other hand had a dagger in it which she sunk deep into Alma''s shoulder. It appears that Alma at the last moved herself, for if not the dagger would have sank into a vital spot inside the collar bone . Alma countered the attack with her spear which Kara in turn blocked with her sword. Was that space-time magic she used earlier? ¡°A shadowstep? How does such a young girl like yourself have mastery of a move only a few people in the assassin''s guild know?¡± Alma asked as checked her wounds she definitely didn''t expect to receive. Alma is right what I am watching right now makes no sense in my mind her performing a shadowstep was unconcievable. ¡°Well isn''t obvious I am an assassin. Killing people is what I do best. Your reaction time is impressive, if it wasn''t this duel would already be over. To be honest I am actually disappointed easily fooled by such a simple illusion and afterward leaving your right side unguarded after a parry forgetting about my offhand.¡± Kara said arrogantly.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Don''t be so cocky. I cant lose to someone like you. Adrenaline rush!¡± Alma''s used one of her abilities as a lancer that increases her speed and power. ¡°Finally you are taking me seriously. Shadow Dance!¡± Kara used a enhancement to match Alma''s. The flurry of spear clashing sword was on a much higher level then the display that Alma and Drexel put on earlier. Incredible this little girl is keeping up with Alma but for how long? Both fighters pause for a second catching their breath from the rapid exchanges. ¡°You scored two blows on me. Right shoulder and right forearm. You think that disabling my dominate arm would end this fight? Unfortunately I am perfectly ambidextrous I also happen to be a decent alchemist.¡± Kara pours a potion into her wounds which almost immediately seals them up. ¡°You made that potion? A high potion so potent it can mend flesh wounds by touch? Also you landed 8 blows on me in fact I am under one third of my health The last one to my right kidney was especially nasty. I cant believe I have to use this to beat a simply child ugh!. Blood of the Dragon!¡± Like before when she was fighting Drexel two scorching wings sprouted out of her back. Also the wounds on her disapearred. Like a lightning bolt she slammed into Kara sending her tumbling back rolling like a rag doll. Looking at back at Kara she simply smiled and performed a shadowstep mid tumble and set it up so she slammed into Alma''s back using her momentum as a weapon. How unconventional but effective. Alma took the blow and then turned towards Kara raising her spear upwards. Alma slammed down at Kara who dodged the blow. It that was so powerful it sent a shockwave through the ground raising it into the air 10 feet like she was using powerful earth magic. ¡°Yes Yes! This is what I expected of the Red Knight finally you are taking me seriously! Lets go all out.¡± Kara had the biggest smile and so did Alma. ¡°We have to stop them Mother please!¡± Skyler said tears running down her cheek. ¡°Why would she do that? This is dragoon business, and more so why would you stop them they look like they are having so much fun. I must admit I was skeptical about Kara when I saw how young she was. But I must admit she is a pure prodigy. I know she is hiding some things about herself but what I am witnessing is incredible. A nine year old fighting the head dragoon and winning? You don''t deserve a dragoon as strong as her, you will only get in her way and cause her problems. And anyways I am pretty sure mom still has a single resurrection scroll on her if the unfortunate happens¡± Drexel was still watching with incredible interest. ¡°I must admit what your brother says is true. The current divide among your powers are like heaven and earth. If you don''t get stronger yourself she will leave you in the dust. On the battlefield are you going to cry that she is hurt or be the person to defend her from injury? Now hush up I feel the end to this fight drawing near.¡± I continued to observe the duel. With Alma now using her wings to assault Kara the momentum switched to her favor. Kara was strong but the incredible power of a dragoon using there draconic power was perhaps too much. Kara''s had received many wounds and even the blow''s she blocked were so strong they still took a toll. When Alma closed in on her to finish she shadowstepped to the long shadow that this booth casted far from where the two were just fighting. I saw a flash of silver shoot up high in the the sky. I almost missed it but her crossbow shot a bolt almost straight vertically in the air before Alma turned around. Kara sheathed her sword and pulled out a Staff. She casted a level 4 spell Lightning Storm but the result was way stronger then any level 4 spell should be. The entire sky and I mean for as far as the eye can see was covered with clouds that began to drop rain and huge lightning bolts. Alma began to fly towards Kara. Boom! A lightning bolt much stronger then the other ones struck right where Alma was going to be but she dodged it using her legendary reflexes. It is a good thing too because the bolt was so powerful the ground was damaged from it. Alma continued to accelerate forward dodging lightning bolt after lightning bolt that started coming down quicker and quicker as she got closer to Kara. Finally on last lightning bolt to dodge Alma''s face grew white and she was unable to dodge the spell. Stuck by the spell she began to freefall to the ground getting struck by several more lightning bolts on her way down. Kara simply had the biggest smile of gratification on her face what exactly did she do? Alma smashed into the ground completely incapacitated. I teleported next to her and looked over her injuries she was still alive but was heavily damaged and paralyzed but what had paralyzed her? I looked further and saw something incredible the crossbow bolt that was fired after Kara''s shadowstep was lodged into Alma''s wing which was now in the process of receding into her back. I pulled out the bolt and begin to heal Alma''s injuries. The bolt was poisoned with a paralysis effect. Kara had lined up such a trap using her lightning bolts to guide Alma''s movement being able to gauge her speed and the distance between them perfectly as well as the angle of the shot and the time it would take for the bolt to fall down. Who is this girl? ---------------------------------Kara PoV-------------------------- What a great fight! I am happy that Alma is not dead for I wish to fight her again someday. My wounds are pretty severe so I go ahead and drink a potion as Alma is in far greater need of the queen''s healing at the moment. Drexel came over to check on Alma after seeing that she would be alright he came over to me and shook my hand. ¡°Kara I am sorry I treated you with such disrespect earlier you are indeed strong its just it was impossible to believe it before you seeing you in action.¡± Drexel then turned his attention to Alma who was now getting up instantly she turned her attention to me. ¡°That shot I did not even see you fire it. I must admit your are strong even if you are just a contract killer.¡± Alma bowed to me. ¡°So you will let me take the trial? That was the deal right?¡± I ask. ¡°Hmmm I did promise that huh. Well I guess it cant be helped however being physically strong is only one part of you that needs to be strong. The trial also tests you mentally and spiritually be weak in any of these aspects and you will fail. You have my blessing to take the trial but know that I don''t feel you are ready for it and advise against it for now.¡± Alma warned me. ¡°Mentally and spiritually strong? Can you explain I am not familiar with the Trial in fact when Simon mentioned it was the first time I had heard of it.¡± I ask her trying to get what information I can out of her. ¡°The trial of dragoons is broken into three parts. The first is the Trial of Valor, the second is the Trial of Wisdom, and the final trial is the trial of Faith. For you I feel the first two trials will be easy however the most difficult trial the trial of Faith will be a problem. It is obvious that the gods smile upon you only a person with a gift could be as strong as you at this age. Yet you someone who kills for gold be a princess or not what gratitude have you showed to them? You use there gifts for such a purpose, when is the last time you actual prayed to the god who have blessed you?¡± Alma looked at my seriously. Its funny for someone who has meet two greater gods and contracted with a demi-god I guess I really don''t think about it that much. ¡°I suppose I don''t really see the point in being pious to any particular god. Yes I am grateful to the gods who have blessed me or have watched over me but repeatedly thanking them for it is both monotonous and a waste of time. If someone is to thank me for something a one time sincere thank you is enough. I don''t want them to spend there whole life prostrating themselves in front of me repeatedly thanking me.¡± I reply back to Alma. ¡°Without the Gods you wouldn''t be here. You think a mere thank you suffices for the amount of gratitude you should show? I should of figured someone like you would be like this.¡± Alma seemed upset now. Its true if it wasn''t for the gods I wouldn''t be here I would still be alive in Tokyo I am here because of there mess up, but I digress. ¡°I am going to start the Trial tomorrow. Your concern for me is admirable but not needed. Queen Alyssa do you guys by chance have place for a young girl to take a bath and a place for her to rest her head?¡± The queen simply nodded and teleported us all back to the dragon city. The rest of the evening went quick. The queen showed me my room and then I took a quick bath in which Skyler insisted to wash my back. Afterwards we all ate at a large table with numerous other people mostly high ranking dragons and very few dragoon''s. It seemed all the attention was on me and people were whispering to themselves about me. After dinner I headed to the library Alyssa told me that nothing was off limits. I grabbed a couple books on dragon theology. Apparently there were countless draconic gods but very few that governed over the dragoon''s in particular. There was five dragons in total that were linked to the dragoon''s and all of them had a unique color and virtue. It was possible after passing the trial of dragoon to become a draconic god''s knight. It usually occurred after years of being a dragoon but sometime it happened at the end of a Trial. It didn''t entail any extra duties but a knight had more powers then a normal dragoon. In fact Alma was the only knight at dinner among the dragoons I saw. Her color red governed destruction and renewal and her god was named Garyx. The other colors were green, gold, black, and white. I studied them for several hours before my eyes became heavy and I headed to the room I was shown earlier by Alyssa. Morning came early and so did Skyler. ¡°Please Kara I am begging you don''t do this. I have seen so many people die doing these trials and they had trained for years for it. You did not pact with me with the intention of becoming a dragoon but did so to save my life surely we can talk it out.¡± Skyler eyes were full of tears. ¡°We already tried that and to leave this place I need to pass this trial. Have faith in me, I don''t have time to waste here. If I fail let Siena, Libby, and my family know I am sorry.¡± With this I continued to walk leaving the palace. ¡°Kara-chan you are the worst!¡± Skyler said as I left through the gate. She was clearly in tears, I glad that she is concerned for me but at this point she becoming a bit annoying. I would have figured after almost dying that she would have realized this world is not for the faint of heart. She is no longer Shoko she needs to get stronger. I was able to talk to Simone last night and he agreed to fly to where the trial takes place. He couldn''t believe I had defeated Alma in a duel and wished me luck. The trial takes place in a sacred draconic holy place which name in common means Heaven''s Fall. It is a plateau very close to the this city. Simone turned into dragon form and I climbed on his back and we flew to our destination. I didn''t take but a minute to get there indeed it was just over a few mountains. Heaven''s fall basically looked like someone had taken a huge chunk of earth from a meadow and slapped it down. There was a large Shrine with what looked like a village nearby but our destination was on the edge of this place. Carved out of one the mountains on the outside of this place was a temple. This was my destination. Surrounding the temple''s entrance was a swarm of people both dragons and dragoons. They were all talking to each other and when we arrived they completely went silent and every single person looked at me. Then people started laughing and talking amongst themselves. ¡°This girl can''t possibly be the person whom defeated Alma in single combat.¡± ¡°She cant be but a dozen cycles old, this makes no sense perhaps she is half breed with another race.¡± ¡°She is protecting herself from information magic I cant read her!¡± ¡°She is way to adorable to be in this type of place!¡± One dragoon came up to me and blocked my way. ¡°Little girl only dragoons taking the trial can enter this place. I am going to have to ask you to turn back.¡± ¡°Well I have the blessing of the red knight, so I suggest you move or I will move you myself.¡± I threaten the young man. ¡°Alma is it so is this really her?¡± He looks at Alma who was in attendance. ¡°Aye let her pass. Let her take the trial and die.¡± Alma said in reply. The man got out of my way. I continued to the entrance right before passing through Alma spoke out. ¡°Last chance to back out.¡± I paid no heed to her walked on through. The stone gate came down behind me I could hear Alma''s voice utter out the word ''fool''. This place had a strong all element magic barrier around it. The room was a large carved right out of a mountain dimly lit by torches, the ground had a small amount of water reflecting the image above it. On the far side of the room was a large door cautiously I traveled forward. When arriving at the door I read what was inscribed on it. ''The greatest enemy is ourselves to defeat ourselves also means to lose to ourself. Only facing danger head on will prove your worth. This is what valor is'' After reading this I could hear a what sounded like a little girl laughing very close by me. I quickly jumped backward out of reflex. How had I let something get so close to me with me not knowing! I turned my head around quickly trying to find the source of the cryptic laughter. Again the same laugh went out right next to me. Then I looked down and was shocked what I saw. My reflection in the water had changed it was now solid silver. I slashed down at the water and the silver reflection moved out of the way then quickly manifested itself above the water still chuckling to itself. I quickly lunged at it with my blade it countered with the same attack perfectly mirrored. I attacked it again and the reflection once again countered with the same motion. I pulled out Tanken and the reflection did the same. My attacks again were countered in the same motions perfectly. This went on for several minutes no matter what I did the reflection did the same thing. I threw throwing daggers at it and it did the same intercepting them perfectly. I shot at it with my crossbow and the silver reflection shot out a bolt on a perfectly inverse trajectory. ''face it head on''...... that line is a hint. I sheath my swords and pull out my daggers. I lunge forward at the my reflection my daggers clash with hers. Without considering my defense I slash savagely horizontally We both slash across each others chests, the reflections dagger felt cold as it slashed through my torso leaving behind pain in its wake. When we both met the middle our elbows hit each other stopping our swings midway. The reflection laughs at me one final time before it dissolves back into the water. I hear a rumbling noise and across the room I can see the door begin to lift up. I keep one potion on my belt which I quickly open up and drink sealing up the gash across my chest. I walked up to the open doorway. The magic barrier is not effecting this room. The next room was completely different from the previous room. This room was much smaller and full of light from the many torches around the room. There was furniture and scrolls everywhere. In the middle of the room was a robed man sitting down on a chair with another chair in front of him. On the far side of the wall there was a gate. Written on the gate was ''The gate shall open to those whom gain wisdom and present it here.'' I look at the robed man again. Gamon the wise an elder dragon level 115...... no chance in beating him in a fight. I take notice of him and sit down across from him. ¡°Young one I welcome to your second trial. I am Gamon, I am somewhat like what a court mage is. I advise the Queen on all matters arcane and I have a second duty. That is to facilitate the trial of wisdom. I was surprised when Alma told me an unheard of dragoon was taking the trial, I was even more surprised how young she was. My role here is simple I am your aid in passing this trial.¡± Gamon smiled at me. ¡°So you kill the people who fail your trial?¡± I ask curious if that was the case. ¡°Of course not, I promise I wont hurt you unless you attack me. In fact I am here to help guide you. The trial of wisdom can take some time.¡± Gamon answered me. ¡°I see well I don''t have that sort of time. If you want to help me hand me that scepter you are carrying and I can be on my way.¡± I stare at him right in the eye knowing I have already figured out that his scepter is named wisdom. ¡°Fufufufu young one you surprise again. Was it that easily seen through? What tipped you off so quickly¡± Gamon changed his expression from a serious one to a more playful one. ¡°Not really I just happen to have a gift that lets see such things. When I looked at your scepter it was quite obvious what I needed to pass on the next trial.¡± I reply. ¡°Well if you want to use my scepter first you will have to amuse me first. . Are you a fan of riddles? Answer one of my riddles and stump me on one of yours then the scepter is yours to open the gate with.¡± ¡°Very well I will ask you my riddle first. I am more powerful then any sword. I can change history with a few motions. I can speak in other language and yet I have no language of my own.¡± I ask Gamon. ¡°Hmm this is a good one. I give up what is it?¡± Gamon says after a few minutes of thinking about it. Spoiler : ¡°Its the pen sir. A pen can write down words to rally hundreds of swords. A pen can create history by writing a peace treaty. A pen can write other languages but has no language itself.¡± I explain to him the answer. ¡°I never thought about it that way but yes that works. I guess I will have to ask a difficult one for such a sharp mind like yours. I kill indiscriminately sapping the life from things. I am unseen and unheard but my effects are profound. I like to attack those close to my victims next.¡± Gamon asked. It took me a few minutes to work it out but I final came to an answer. Spoiler : ¡°Aye this is a good one indeed but I think I got it. Disease. A disease attacks young old, poor wealthy, male or female. You cant see or hear it but when see afflicted people it can be disheartening. Disease often spreads from contact so unfortunately its next victims are those whom are close to its previous victims.¡± I explain my answer. ¡°Incredible! You got it on first try, most kids your age would barely know of such things yet you seem to have a lot of knowledge about it. I would love it if I could see your status what ever enchant you are using it is effective against my magic. In all my centuries I have never met such an interesting human¡± Gamon was very intrigued but what secrets I had. ¡°That was not apart of our agreement, you promised use of the scepter for the exchange of riddles. If you want my status you will have to give me more.¡± I bargain with the Gamon. ¡°Hmmm I don''t know what I could give you in exchange.¡± Gamon''s curiosity was getting the best of him. ¡°I would ask two things first that not tell anyone about me. Secondly I seek advise to the next trial.¡± I look back at him and he nods in agreement. I reach out and grab his hand sending out my status minus a few things like being a psionic, being Grena''s champion, and my identity as the Angel of Death. ¡°I don''t know what to say. A person of your talents only comes once in thousands of years. You kept some things from me that was not a full status.¡± Gamon could tell that I withheld information from him. ¡°I shared enough for someone who is a new acquaintance of mine. I have showed you enough for you to realize that I am the real deal. Now you part of the bargain?¡± I shot him a glance. ¡°Well it is not exactly what I bargained and also I have no idea what the trial of faith may entale. I can tell you this though dragons respect power above all and our deities are no different. Show them respect but also show them why you should be respected also.¡± With this he handed me the scepter I needed. I walk up to the gate set the scepter before the gate. As was with the previous gate I could hear the rumbling of stone shifting as the gate opening up. The next room I entered was large like the one the trial of valor was in but unlike that one this one was filled with five enormous statues of the different dragon deities whom governed over the dragoons. At the center of the room was an obelisk Scattered across the rooms were other statues albeit much smaller and fountains. Around the perimeter of the room was a sort of irrigation system and there were plants growing in small patches where there was dirt instead of stone. The lighting was unique there were no torches in the entire room it, it was lit by a hole in the ceiling that opened up to the top of mountain I was in. Being around midday the light filled this room centered on the obelisk After taking a second to appreciate this beautiful room I turned my attention back to the obelisk Written on the obelisk in Draconic was '' Bahumut, Garyx, Chronepsis, Tamara, and Tiamat. You must summon each of these gods to seek their council. Afterwards if you gain there blessing your task will become clear. If not your life shall be forfeit.'' After investigating the obelisk a little more I noticed I could turn it. After turning it a bit I felt it snap onto some type of mechanism and slowly it started to descend into the ground. I noticed at top of the now short obelisk was a prism like container. As soon as it reached its resting place the light that hit the prism was redirected at the White Dragon god Chronepsis''s statue. Some type of illusion must be taking place because it appears as if the statue had came alive, and now was focused on me. ¡°Young child I am Chronepsis. I am the white dragon who governs neutrality and balance. Why should I grant you my blessing? You are a princess to a foreign county who would tie the dragons to a human county. Would you have the dragon''s help you in your war efforts?¡± Chronepsis asked me. ¡°Depends on who we are at war with. I would not seek your help in a war amongst humans. However a demon invasion that effects all of us I would wish to coordinate with the dragons. But that is not our biggest threat we face the alignment is coming and with it the doom of this world.¡± I answer his question. ¡°So you would have us side with wrath?¡± The white dragon asked me. Obviously familiar with my ties to Grena. ¡°I wouldn''t have you side with anyone. I would expect though you wouldn''t let one aspect gain too much power even if it happens to be wrath.¡± I answered his question. ¡°Very well I give you my I give you my blessing. To summon the other deities you must fill the prism with color.¡± With that the statue regained its previous form. Fill the prism with it''s color I notice the top of the prism is open. Well lets summon red next I guess, I cut my palm and let blood drip into the prism. As soon as I did the prism changed to red and the light shot to Garyx statue. The red dragon took form. ¡°I am Garyx the red dragon. I govern destruction and rebirth. Why should I give you my blessing? You would attempt to thwart the culling that the alignment will bring. The earth has a chance to reborn like a phoenix. Why should I not just let it end here?¡± Garyx looked ¡°Well if you don''t give me your blessing your knight Alma will never have a chance to get get payback on me for beating her in single combat.¡± I say to the red dragon. ¡°Hahahaha..... your good. I like you, if I didn''t have a knight already I would perhaps take you as my knight. Alright I give you my blessing, with you around things will only get more interesting.¡± With this Garyx disapearred. The red I put into the prism disappeared, for green I walked up to where the plants were in the room grabbed one of the leaves that had fallen off. I returned to the prism device and dropped in the leaf. As was with red the prism shot out a green light towards its respective statue. The statue shifted form taking the shape of a dragon. ¡°Greetings Kara it is a pleasure to finally speak with you. I am Tamara the green dragon I govern nature and harmony. I have no questions for you. You have my blessing Kara, I can see your love for nature. I wish you well on your journeys.¡± I didn''t even get a chance to speak to her. For the next color gold I figured I could just put some gold coins in but before I did my golden blonde locks slipped over my face and I was reminded of my hair color. After cutting a few hairs with my dagger I dropped the hair into the prism. After a few seconds the golden dragon Bahumut took form in the same manner as before. ¡°Kara I am Bahumut. I govern justice and order. You who carry the noble blood of your distant ancestor Vivaca it is destiny that you come before me.¡± Bahumut told me. ¡°Vivaca is my ancestor?¡± I asked bahumut now curious. ¡°Aye everyone who has the ability to pact with a dragon has some sort of blood from the original dragoons. There was a time when mankind tried to eliminate every dragon. Our kind was brought to the brink of extinction and the first dragoons stepped up as our eternal allies. The Rosewood family has Vivaca the most famous of dragoons from that time as a distant ancestor.¡± Bahumut said. ¡°I see then I am honored Bahumut. What do I have to do to garner your blessing?¡± I ask. ¡°You have my blessing. I also want to make you my knight. Would you do me the honor of being my knight? If so close your eyes and take a knee.¡± I comply with his demand and close my eye and take a knee. There was a long pause for some reason. I patiently waited for him to continue after what seemed like a few minutes I heard him speak. ¡°Do you Kara Rosewood accept to become my honorable knight to represent me in the mortal world?¡± Something was slightly different about Bahumut''s speech pattern but I didn''t think it was a big deal at the time. ¡°I do¡± I reply. ¡°Then I Tiamat the black dragon goddess name you Kara Rosewood my Black knight.¡± After I heard this I knew something was wrong. I opened my eyes and the room was completely dark except for 2 red eyes. I felt coldness wrap around me as the the ceremony had taken effect. I felt the burning sensation of a brand forming over my back. When I looked up to the roof I could see that the sun had been totally blocked out by an eclipse. Tiamat must have set me up! As the eclipse ended light streamed back in the cave and the golden light returned to Bahumut''s statue. ¡°TIAMAT!! You will pay for this injustice! You have stolen my knight from me using trickery. I am so sorry Kara I didn''t foresee.....¡± Bahumut was cut off by a blackness that overtook the prism cutting of the golden dragon. ¡°Oh shut up brother jeez. I was just claiming what belongs to me The aspect of Wrath deserves to be draped in black not gold. Anyways Kara I know you will make me proud.¡± Tiamat''s voice had changed she mimicked Bahumuts voice earlier but now she had soft feminine voice. ¡°Well I am honored that you would name me your knight. Perhaps another would have been more suited I am certainly not evil. If anything my alignment is neutral leaning towards good. Naming me your knight to get over on Bahumut maybe short sighted.¡± I replied to black dragon. ¡°OH honey I didn''t name you my knight to get over on Bahumut. I did it because you are special. In fact you are only the second Black Knight I have ever named in over ten thousand years. You say you are neutral and that you like to do good things. This maybe true but you are as far from a good person as you are from being a bad person. I know your little secret...... I see the sheer glee in your face when you take a life. I see the strength you gain when someone hurts someone close to you and your ruthlessness against them seeking revenge. Your ambition to gain power is unrivaled. Look how strong you are right now, it is a testament to your iron will. Now I must go as my knight I will occasionally speak to you. Most of the time though I just like to watch. Being a dragon knight is an honorary position and you have no duties or responsibilities to me. Think of me as your sponsor, I simply want to see you succeed. However most likely when you return to the white city the people will keep there distance from you. To complete your trial you must climb out of this room through the hole in the ceiling, or if you are smart you will use your new power to fly out.¡± Tiamat said and disappeared. I certainly didn''t think I would become the black knight but I guess it is done. Now lets figure out this flying thing. --------------------------------------------------- Skyler PoV ¡°What''s taking so long?!¡± This trial is taking so long I cant help but sit here and worry over Kara-chan. ¡°Some trials take weeks to complete. For now no news is good news.¡± Queen Alyssa explained. ¡°I wonder if she will get a knight position from one of the gods. The last golden knight died not too long ago.¡± Drexel was said to Alma. ¡°I doubt it. The gods rarely name a knight at a Trial ceremony. Usually the honor comes after they have become dragoon''s for some time. I believe the only color''s that are available are gold and black.¡± Alma replied. ¡°What is that in the air?!¡± Drexel said pointing at something flying in the air with jet black wings. ¡°Impossible black wings that have shadow emanating from them? Tiamat has named a Knight and at a Trial ceremony no less? A black knight is an ill omen indeed. What exactly are you Kara and why has she taken in interest in you? This is troublesome very troublesome.¡± Queen Alyssa said out loud to herself. Chapter 30 Return to Lorrington Chapter 30 Return to Lorrington Flying is so much fun! It took a little while to figure out how to fly but my gift accelerated that process and now I am a pro. My wings are jet black and seem to be emanating some type of shadows from them. While I am still upset that Tiamat used trickery on me to get over on her rival Bahumut I am somewhat flattered that almost all the dragon gods I talked to had an interest in me. Flying high above the crowd outside the shrine that I just took the trial I looked around. In the air were several dragons just hoovering and looking at me, on the ground it was no different as was usual all the attention was on me. Using my link with Skyler I was able to sense her location. I shot off like a rocket using my powerful wings to accelerate. Very quickly I reached my destination and almost on a dime stopped feet away from the Skyler and her mother. ¡°Congratulations Kara you have passed your trial and even was knighted during the trial. We must hold a feast in your honor.¡± Queen Alyssa said as landed. ¡°I am honored by your gesture. Tomorrow I plan to leave this place. So tonight I will enjoy myself .¡± I bow to the queen. ¡°I need you and Skyler looking proper. Ruby and Misty go and make sure that happens.¡± Alyssa looked over to 2 dragon maids who grabbed Skyler and walked over to me. Once all 4 of us were together I could feel space-time magic as we were teleported to palace. We were swiftly escorted to the baths. Once we arrived without hesitation I was quickly stripped naked along with Skyler by the maids. Bashfully I quickly jumped into the water and covered myself not wanting to look at Skyler. I had bathed with girls as Kara before but that was with Mandy, Claire, and mother all who are immediate family this was definitely different. ¡°Why are you acting so shy Kara-chan we are all girls here, I don''t have anything that you don''t have yourself. No reason for you to so reserved¡± Skyler quickly approached me in the bath after entering. ¡°I am sorry it''s just on some level I feel this is perverted. I know I shouldn''t feel this way but that''s just how it is, I think you know why.¡± I say to Skyler my eyes still off to the side. ¡°Its ok Kara I understand, I can see how you feel that way. Perhaps you would let me wash your back though? I promise I wont do anything perverted to you.¡± She said to me. ¡°Ok¡± I reluctantly agreed. I turn my back around so she can wash it. ¡°OH my god Kara its so cool!¡± I could fell Skyler''s hand gently trace around my back where the pact sigil from Tiamat formed earlier. ¡°So you didn''t actually want to wash my back did you.........¡± I say slightly annoyed. ¡°Oh I did I just couldn''t help but admire your new tattoo.... I mean sigil. I will wash it now for you.¡± I could fell Skyler small delicate hands over a bar of soap lather up my back. It took her a minute to lather it up all the way. I would lying if I said this feeling wasn''t blissful, but so weird was my back really that sensitive? I don''t remember getting this feeling when my sister washed my back. Maybe Skyler was just really good at this activity or perhaps it was something else. ¡°You know I am leaving this place. Have you thought of what you are going to do?¡± I ask Skyler as she finishes rinsing my back. ¡°Well I am staying with you obviously. Attending a magic school will be so much fun! Perhaps I can get stronger there.¡± Skyler said with an almost giddy tone. ¡°You think your mom will let you? You were just kidnapped not too long ago and almost died.¡± I say to her trying to figure out how should would clear that hurdle. ¡°Oh she has no choice but to let me go. She is no longer in charge of my safety that responsibility now belongs to you. Even if that wasn''t the case she would gladly let me go. I haven''t shown an interest to get strong my whole life so for me wanting to go on my own accord, there is no way she would shoot me down.¡± Skyler replied to me. ¡°She isn''t concerned for your life? You are her own blood.¡± I don''t seem to understand why her mother would let her put herself in dangerous situations. ¡°Its not that she doesn''t care about me. Its just that she has a different lookout on life. Her saying is when difficulties arise you either get stronger or you die. Anyways I have over 20 siblings most of whom I have never meet so she cant simply spend her time worry about me. She is an important lady after all. All done with your back now its your turn to wash mine¡± Skyler replied. After washing her back and finishing washing ourselves the dragon maids helped dress us for the banquet. Skyler wore a light green gown that looked comfortable. I however was given a tight black dress that was very formal but definitely uncomfortable. After complaing how my mobility in such an outfit was leaving my safety jeopardized and having the maids turn a deaf ear to me I swallowed my pride and proceeded to the banquet. The banquet hall was on the second level of the palace right above where the throne room was at. The room was filled as dragon nobility and dragoons both wanted to come. The head table had to spots open just the left of Alyssa. The noise in this place was very vibrant, Skyler and my entrance seemed to turn a few heads but for the most part people continued to chat to those around them. After getting situated at our chairs Alyssa rang a bell signaling people to be quiet for a bit. After the crowd died down she spoke. ¡°Welcome all today we are celebrating a new dragoon having passed the trial. As you may have heard she also was blessed by Tiamat and now holds the Title of Black Knight. I know many of you may see Tiamat as a purely evil deity but that is not a fair assessment of her. Anyone familiar with our gods will tell you that Tiamat is an important god that holds values strength above all which is an important aspect of our culture. I ask you not look down on Kara for this. Kara would you like to have a few words before we begin the feast?¡± Queen Alyssa said to the packed hall. ¡°Yes thank you all for hosting me. My route to becoming a dragoon was atypical but I wouldn''t have changed how I did it. I am honored that I was chosen to become the Black Knight, I don''t know what expectations you all have of me but I promise you I am not an evil person so feel free to approach me. My time here has been great but tomorrow I must leave as my journeys are taking me elsewhere. However when time comes that dragon-kin need my help you can count on me to be here.¡± I didn''t prepare a speech but I was pleasantly surprised with what I was able to wing with my high Charisma score. After a brief pause a lady dressed in black with a staff made of gold that depicted a 5 headed hydra approached me. Her status said she was a dragon priest a follower of Tiamat. Other then that I noticed a familiar ring on her finger, one that I also wore on my finger. She was a member of the assassin''s guild. ¡°Greetings Black Knight. I am Thelma high priest of Tiamat. As is tradition when a new Knight is chosen by a deity. The head priest of that god bestows a gift . You will be now bestowed with an artifact blessed by our god. Now there hasn''t been a Black Knight in a long time so perhaps some people aren''t familiar with this artifact. I present to you the Twilight Bracers.¡± As she handed me the bracers. They were obsidian black with gold embroidery. I couldn''t help but notice how freaking over powered they were. Twilight Bracers -Boosts Strength and Agility by 15% -Attacks made while wearing the bracers deal additional shadow damage -Bonus only works when equipped by the Black Knight ¡°Thank you I will treasure this gift.¡± As I equip the bracers I cant help but feel the power swell inside me. Of all my possessions except for the Sidhe staff this was probably the most powerful. Having seen Alma''s artifact (her spear) it pales in comparison. After Thelma gave me my gift several other approached me with gifts. Nothing of course came close to the power the bracers I received. The coolest thing I got besides the bracers came from the dragon who performed my Trial of Wisdom Gamon. He gave me a book about the previous Black Knight Vincent Rize. I will be sure to read it when I have time, I had trouble finding stuff about him in the library. With gifts out the way the feast began and people began to resume talking as they did before. ¡°So you haven''t changed your mind about returning home and attending magic school?¡± Alyssa asked me admist the feast. ¡°No, of all my abilities I posses my talent in the arcane is the most lacking. With my age I have an opportunity to learn from some of the most powerful mages in the world. As I said before if Dragnor needs me I will do what I can to help. There is another thing Skyler would like to attend to the school with me.¡± I reply to her question. ¡°Oh I was going to suggest that myself. People around here give her a hard time because she is not as strong as some for her age. I can see however she has potential specifically in magic. It wouldn''t be the first time I sent a daughter to Mahouren.¡± Alyssa seemed to be planning this all along. ¡°As for my gift to you I will use the Nexus stone to transport us to Lorrington.¡± I don''t know what the nexus stone is but if it was able to teleport a group of people that extreme of distance I am sure it is valuable. ¡°Us?¡± I ask her just to make sure I got that part right. ¡°It will just me, you, Skyler, my head guard, oh and your 2 friends. I went ahead and had Simone to gather them and your things so everything should be good to go at first light.¡± Alyssa had already taken care of everything. ¡°Nexus stone? Is that a space-time magic item?¡± I was now curious. ¡°Thousands of years ago there was a nexus network set up by the Karthians. Only royalty and a select few had access to it. It used the leylines to amplify space-time magic allowing for quick travel. The Karthians didn''t have a lot of mages but the ones they had were famous for the advancement''s in space-time magic. Using nexus stones a person could teleport a group of people across Solus. However when the Mad-King took over he destroyed all things Karthian including these nexus stones. The one I have left only has enough power to do one round trip.¡± Alyssa mentioned the Mad-King this is the same guy who destroyed the Karthians technological advances. ¡°I am grateful that you would use such a valuable item to help me.¡± I sincerely thank her as this will shave a couple weeks off my travel and give me more time I can spend in Lorrington before leaving. ¡°Oh its no problem I needed to meet with your father anyways and I hate having to fly long distances.¡± so Queen Alyssa was simply using this for her own comfort that makes me feel slightly better. ¡°Is he expecting us? I haven''t talked to him in years. Until recently he thought of me as dead and even then he probably doubts I am still alive.¡± I mention to her the current state of my relationship with my dad. ¡°Oh well I didn''t specifically mention you, but none the less he will be expecting us. I am sure he will reckonize his own daughter¡± She said as continued to eat the feast before us. The rest of the night went smooth, I had several people come up and greet me. The vast majority however stayed somewhat distant. Perhaps my victory against Alma intimidated them, or perhaps it was because I had become the Black Knight. After the meal we enjoyed some light entertainment while people began to thin out departing as the evening set in. Eventually only the servants were left cleaning up after the large feast. Full and having a big day ahead of us we departed to our separate bed chambers. Sleep set in quickly. Waking up the next morning refreshed I quickly headed to the baths to freshen up. Gratefully I found no one here so I was able to wash in solitude. Atleast that''s what I thought. ¡°Leaving so soon Black Knight I had hardly got to know you?¡± It was Thelma from last night before I could respond to her she was up against my back. Her head draped over my shoulder. ¡°How did you get in here?¡± I say still shocked at how quick she had closed in on me. I knew she was strong from inspecting her status last night but this goes beyond what I estimated her capabilities at. ¡°Oh I come her often, this bath is wayyyyy better then shitty one at the temple. Here let me wash your back.¡± She said playfully. Half expecting a hand with a bar soap similar to what happened last night with Skyler I gasped as my expectations had been shattered. I felt two distinct mounds lathered up sliding up and down on my back. ¡°Is ¡­ is ...that what I think it is? This is lewd!¡± I somehow managed to whimper out. ¡°Oh you are so cute and innocent! Of course it is, that''s how I wash the backs of all the people I like.¡± This was really starting to upset me I don''t like being in compromising situations like this but she did get the drop on me so it is my own fault. ¡°So does this visit have a purpose or did you just come here to commit lewd acts on me in the bath?¡± I say clearly pissed. Its not that I hated what was happening but it being with an almost complete stranger and me being such a young girl made things different. Perhaps I was just mad she got the drop on me. ¡°Oh a temper! I like that! Of course this visit has a purpose. In my dreams last night our Lady Tiamat gave me a message to give to you.¡± '' As the stars fall follow the full moon, to the serpent''s mouth. Within you will be tested. Remember the black rose only blooms in complete darkness.'' ¡°Pretty cryptic huh. Anyways if you are heading to Mahouren perhaps we will run into each other again. Being a priest of Tiamat gives me a lot of freedom. I have another profession, I think you could guess what it is since you have thesame ring I have. I am regular at the Toulia branch.¡± She said as she finished with my back. ¡°What ring? I don''t know what you are talking about.¡± I said after getting no response I turned around to find I was now truly alone in the bath. Hmmm Black rose I thought that type of rose only existed in legend. I will have to do more research on it. After my bath I went back to my room to get dressed. Several years have passed since I talked to father. I suppose I might as well look decent I choose a nice red and green dress that had been a gift from Jennifer for working in her shop. I wore white flats on my feet and after doing my hair I went to meet up Alyssa. ¡°Wow you certainly clean up good. Arn''t you excited to see your family?¡± Skyler asked me admiring my outfit I had picked out. ¡°I suppose so¡± I reply anxious for the day to get going. Alyssa and her personal guard who after inspecting him was another one of Skyler''s siblings his name was Siefer escorted us out side the palace. Siefer turned into his dragon form as did Alyssa. I must say the queen''s dragon-form was just as majestic as I had heard the rumors of it being. After climbing on Siefer''s back we began flying to a familiar place. It was the place where I had taken the trial at, however this time we headed towards the village with the large temple. After landing outside of the town we walked through the village. Little kids who were playing a little bit ago started to run up get a look at us.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°That girl is the Black Knight! I saw her yesterday fly from out the mountain! And that scary woman is the queen¡± One of the kids said. ¡°Wow the queen is here she is not scary she is gorgeous and so is the Black Knight.¡± A small girl among the group spoke. ¡°Run along kids we are on official business at the temple.¡± Siefer barked out and the kids dispersed. ¡°That wasn''t nice.¡± Skyler said seeming cross at Siefer now. After approaching the temple I noticed the doors were open. After passing through the ante-chamber we entered the main chamber with various dragon deities represented including the 5 linked to the dragoons. Alyssa led us down some stair at the back of the main chamber. After walking down a couple flights of stairs we were emptied into another large room. Inside was a familiar wagon with horses, Siena, and Libby. How the hell did they get the wagon and horses down here?! Oh well it doesn''t matter now. ¡°Kara! I was worried about you. Skyler and you left abruptly with little explanation. Then yesterday the same guy that took you away came to our inn and got us too.¡± Siena ran up and hugged me. ¡°Yes apparently I had to do some trial as a dragoon before I could leave. I even got a new title Black Knight.¡± I said looking at Siena. However her smile that was just on her face eroded like a landslide. In the most serious tone she had spoken to me since she found out that I had psionic powers along with arcane powers she spoke to me. ¡°You are joking right? Please tell you are joking¡± She said holding me completely still. Libby spoke up while Siena was freaking out. ¡°Black Knight I remember mention of a black knight in the books in my library his name was Vincent Rize. The Black Knight was a harbinger of death and destruction. Uncontrolled by the dragons he and his dragon Lotus wrought death and despair across Solus. It was one of the darkest eras of recorded history.¡± Libby said and the ramifications hit me. ¡°Is that true I know Libby''s common has been a work in progress. Why haven''t I heard of this before in our histories.¡± I say looking at Siena. Skyler was freaking out too. ¡°Human''s are prideful. The fact that they brought down to a knee by a single person isn''t the most favorable moment in their history. The event also led to rifts between human''s and dragons that still exist today even though it was neither''s fault. Trust me there are records about it if you look hard enough. The question is why would Tiamat choose you? I know you Kara you are a good person.¡± Siena said to me. I turn my attention back to Alyssa. ¡°Why didn''t you mention this?¡± I said to her ¡°Oh who do you think was the one to insist Gamon give you that book? What the previous black knight did has nothing to do with you. Anyways this is the main reason why I am going with you just to help explain it to your dad.¡± Alyssa said unapologetically. ¡°Anyway time is wasting It is time to use the nexus stone. Simone thank you for taking care of this you are truly a devoted vassal.¡± Alyssa said to Simone as he backed away from the circle drawn in the room beneath us. ¡°It is my pleasure to serve my Lady.¡± He bowed and left. As soon as he did Alyssa pulled out her nexus stone and began chanting a spell with it. The all too familiar pull of space-time could be felt. However this time it was much more painful. After the sensation passed I began to take in scenery around me. We were outside around us was a unique rock formation around us to the north I could see a familiar city of Lorrington. The horses freaked out from the Teleport were quickly calmed down by Alyssa. We all hopped into the Wagon and began the short trip to where I grew up. Alyssa and Siena rode in the front with us both in the back. As we approached the gate two guards asked what was our business in Lorrington. After Siena showed the guards her adventurer''s pass and her papers we were allowed to pass. Our wagon pulled up to the stables just inside the gates. After getting off the wagon and paying the stable master to watch over our belonging while we dealt with business our group ventured towards the palace. ¡°Not going to go the adventurer''s guild?¡± I asked Siena whom no longer was obliged to follow us. ¡°And miss a chance to see your family''s reaction no way!¡± Siena replied. It is good to see her rebound from the disturbing developments earlier. Lorrinton is just how I remember it, perhaps a little more developed now. The city was quite wealthy and people were happy here. Compared to Zyrus this place was pretty much heaven. Vendors tried to get us to come to there stall but we ignored them. They smell of Termain cooking filled the air Finally after over 4 years I have returned. As we got up the gate Alyssa talked to one of the guards who went inside for a second. After a couple minute he returned and opened the gate for us. Escorted we were lead to the Throne room from a direction I wasn''t used to, the front. Sitting on the throne with mother to the side sat William Rosewood. He had several adviser''s and guards surrounding him. When we entered his face lit up enamored by Queen Alyssa''s beauty. After we all stood in place the awkward silence was broken by an upset Queen Ria. ¡°Ahem¡± She said annoyed at William''s glaring. ¡°Yes, yes you are Alyssa the queen of the dragons? When my messenger''s received your official seal we had to dig up really old records to validate it. It is amazing if I didn''t know any better I would just think you were a normal human. It has been centuries since you kind has made contact directly with humans. What has brought you here specifically to Termain.¡± Father said his eyes still locked on Alyssa. Mother''s eyes were trained on another person....me. ¡°Well it has to do with your daughter Kara.¡± Alyssa said to the king. ¡°My daughter Kara has been dead for years.¡± William said now agitated. ¡°William that girl next to Alyssa is Kara a mother can tell¡± Ria said to father. ¡°Hmmm she does resemble Kara in a way but that proves nothing.¡± I refuted now focusing on me. ¡°Well normally we could just use information magic to confirm my identity. Unfortunately since I actually am your daughter that will not work. Guard give this to the king.¡± I handed him my dagger with the royal seal wrapped in a cloth. The guard walked up and retrieved the item, after confirming it was not magical or poisoned he delivered to the king. ¡°This is Kara''s dagger! Where did you get this!¡± I guess Mandy never forwarded the letter to dad he is still hesitant to believe me. ¡°It was a birthday gift. When you asked what kind of gift I wanted instead of clothes, jewelry I wanted something practical and it helped me escape from a band of mercenaries whom tried to kidnap me on the river Coll¡± I said to him. ¡°If you fled your kidnappers why didn''t you return here?¡± He asked. ¡°Well I could explain but I prefer for that conversation to be more private. Look if you still don''t believes its me I could tell you stuff that only I know. Like the fact you hide sweets inside that old vase in your office so that mom doesn''t know. If that is not enough I could open the royal vault only a true Rosewood can do that.¡± I started speaking but my rant was interrupted by Ria running up and hugging me. ¡°Sweet Kara thank the divines! We were all so devastated when you disappeared and thought you dead.¡± Ria now had tears in her eyes I guess the tears were contagious because I too started to tear up as did Siena and Skyler behind me. Libby who was incapable of tears wore an adorning expression. ¡°Queen Alyssa I don''t know how I can repay you for returning my daughter to me.¡± Father began to say. ¡°Oh I actually didn''t really do much but rewards are not why I have come here. There is delicate matters concerning your daughter and mine Skyler that we need to address in private if at all possible.¡± Alyssa said to father. ¡°That is fine come will talk in my private quarters. Guards these people are fine you can let them pass.¡± Father motioned Alyssa to follow him ¡°So introduce me to your friends.¡± Mother asked me as our long hug finally concluded. ¡°Yes this elven woman is Siena she has been a long time friend of mine. She is extremely skilled with a blade I bet she could give Max a decent run for his money.¡± My compliments caused Siena to noticeably blush. ¡°Oh princess your compliments go to far. I am just a humble adventurer after all.¡± Siena tried to downplay herself. ¡°This girl right here is Skyler. I actually saved her life and she has been with me ever since. She is the daughter of the dragon queen.¡± As I continue my introductions. ¡°Your Highness it is a pleasure to meet you. Your daughter is truly an amazing person. I want you to know I am truly thankful I meet her.¡± Skyler introduced herself. ¡°This last girl is Libby. I owe her a favor and she requested to become my personal maid if it is not too much I would wish to grant her this opportunity.¡± Earlier I asked Libby to pretend to have requested this so that she could continue to be close to me as my maid. I totally didn''t do just to have a automaton maid....or did I? ¡°Serving the princess would be a pleasure.¡± Libby said as I introduced her. ¡°An odd request but if you trust her I see no reason to decline her. ¡± Mother agreed to my proposal ¡°Mother if you didn''t mind are any of my siblings around. I would very much like to see them.¡± I ask curious to see them. ¡°Well Max is in the garrison with Aaron training. Claire is in the mage tower with Abbot and Mandy well she doesn''t come here very often. She has a husband after all and is busy with working at Mahouren for now.¡± Mother said sort of sad. ¡°I am curious to hear about where you have been and have done these years. But that can wait I suppose. What matters is that your back. I must arrange to have your friends set up with quarters as well as the feast celebrating your return. Your old room is still there for you. Libby was it? Dear if you would come with me I can introduce you to Sasha the head maid she will get you properly dressed and trained to be Kara''s maid.¡± Thankfully I was able to make a illusion charm to conceal Libby wound in her abdomen. I really need to get that fixed. ¡°If you guys wouldn''t mind I am going to go see my siblings. You guys should wait here while mother lines up your quarters.¡± Siena and Skyler look at each other understand that I want to do this by myself. I suppose I will see the boys first. A guard started following me when I left the palace I could easily slip him but I don''t want to cause him to lose his job ya know. So I bare with it as we travel to the barracks. It seems that the barrack''s have improved a lot under Max''s leadership. It seems like the number of troops have increased as well. In the middle of the training ground I can see Douglas one of the best fighters among our officers taking on new recruits one after another with wooden swords. While he isn''t on Max''s level he is definitely someone you want on your side in a fight. They must be in the early stages of there training because their form is terrible. Douglas just finished the last guy off knocking him down with a blow to the head. ¡°Is there not one among you that can last more then 5 seconds. You have to be the sorriest lot I have had to break in.¡± Douglas said disheartened. I truly despise this type of training breaking people down and building them back up crap. It just wastes time. ¡°Anybody else want a shot at this captain?¡± He asked looking around. Well I suppose Max and Aaron can wait a second I need to knock this guy down a peg. ¡°Sure I will challenge you¡± I say with a playful smile. I pick up the wooden sword and take a stance. ¡°Hahaha did Lenny put you up to this. I don''t beat up little kids..¡± He seemed to lose interest in me. Oh well his fault. I dash forward at him with breakneck speed. The guard watching me could only get out the prin of princess before I arrived at Douglass with a powerful swing he was just able to block causing his feet to slide from momentum backward. ¡°Well what if this ''this kid'' likes to beat up adults? Would that change your mind?¡± I say now taunting. The recruits all gasped at this display and rose up to encircle us. The poor guard who was watching me struggled through the bodies surrounding us. ¡°What type of cheap trick is this? Magic?¡± He said blocking another swing but it was too strong and his wooden sword broke. I immediately swing again stopping the wooden blade at his throat. ¡°No that was sheer strength. Sorry I broke your practice sword. Maybe sometime we can have a rematch with real weapons wouldn''t that be fun?¡± Right after I said this the poor guard who was suppose to be watching me arrived . ¡°Princess Kara we must hurry and meet you brothers and sister. We haven''t much time your father will be needing us.¡± The guard begged me to hurry up. I had to agree father probably wouldn''t like be kept waiting. However I feel like being in the company of Queen Alyssa and having his lost daughter returned to himmight have his spirits lifted for the time. ¡°Who was that girl? She shattered that practice sword in two attacks!¡± One of the recruits asked. ¡°That guard said she was princess Kara but I thought the princess was dead.¡± Another one answered. ¡°Who ever she was her strength compared to her size didn''t make sense.¡± Walking though the barracks was a nostalgic experience. I use to come here all the time when I was little. I gave the guards ''babysitting'' me a hard time then too. It is weird that not one of father''s children are remotely interested in politics. Both his sons seek want to become warlords and his daughter''s mages. I kind of always thought that Aaron might take an interest politics but he followed in Max''s footsteps. Max''s room was just ahead. Max, Aaron, and several other were discussing some battle formations and tactics. ¡°Excuse me Lord Max. This is.¡± The guard tried to introduce me but I went ahead. ¡°Hey you remember me?¡± I said with my classic smile that Max always requested me to wear when I was around him. ¡°Kara?! How is this possible¡± Max rushed over and picked me up hugging me. I didn''t peg Max as someone who would get this emotional but perhaps he just hides it well. His hug definitely was tight but none the less pleasant. ¡°Aaron stop looking stupid and come over here you our sister has been returned to us.¡± Max looked over at Aaron who since my arrival has just looked at me appraisingly. He is a lot sharper then I anticipated perhaps he put it all together, I was sloppy around him at the masquerade where I became the Angel of Death. ¡°Oh sorry I am just in shock right now.¡± Aaron replied and came up and joined in the hug. He eyes however remained trained on me. A few minutes after our embrace. I had to say goodbye. ¡°I still have to see Claire, I suggest you come to dinner tonight I will be in attendance along with some of my friends.¡± I wave goodbye and go to leave. ¡°Oh Kara about Claire, your disappearance was most difficult on her. There is no telling how she will react to you returning. Be patient with her¡± Max said as we left. The walk to the mage tower was another nostalgic one. Mandy would hang out here a lot when she was on break from school. It appears that Claire similar to Aaron was following in their older siblings footsteps. So my disappearance was especially hard on her? Out of all my siblings Claire to me seemed the most distant. As a baby she constantly would dote on me, however as I aged we began growing distant. She would be interested in things that normal girls were, like clothes, dolls, and jewelry. The only girly things I was really into was flowers and music, most of my time was training my body and mana. The mage tower is exactly as I remember it. We quickly ascend the flight of stairs to the top where Abbot and my sister were. We entered the large room at the top. I could see Claire practicing inside of a hollow barrier in the tower. A hollow barrier was different then a traditional barrier, where a traditional barrier prevented any magic from being used within it a hollow barrier allowed magic to be used within it. Its purpose was to simply block magic from traversing the barrier be it from outside or within. These are mainly used in magic duels in combination with personal barriers to prevent bodily harm. Abbot was observing from outside the barrier. Not wanting to interrupt Claire I watched her. She casted a fire based spell that afterwards turned into a large cat like creature, she the commanded the cat to move around. Amazing if I recall correctly this is a level 6 fire spell summon Infernal creature. This is incredibly surprisingShe had gotten so strong in the arcane arts since I left a level 6 spell was close to what a graduate would be expected to be able to cast. Yet she should only be going into her fourth year. In fact she is much stronger then Mandy was in this point of her schooling. What changed in her to want her to seek to get so strong. I would find out that wasn''t the only to change in her. After dismissing the infernal cat she created she walked out of the barrier. Almost immediately another red cat this time not on fire and much smaller jumped on her shoulder. ¡°Oh Ash you couldn''t wait to jump on my shoulder? Don''t worry that cat I summoned just now wasn''t to replace you. You know familiars are suppose to stay hidden. You don''t see Mandy''s familiar very often do you? I suppose the only time Zephyr is was things are getting serious.¡± Claire petted her cat familiar. After inspecting this cat I found it was in fact a flame spirit. It was an incredibly rare familiar. Claire''s attention turned to us as did Abbot''s. ¡°Guard why have you brought this girl here? This tower is for mages and nobility. Please explain yourself¡± She said in a cold and cruel manner. ¡°Is that any way to treat your sister?¡± I say in response. ¡°My sister? I have only one of those and she is much older then you and is way to busy right now to afford a trip to visit.¡± Claire replied harshly. ¡°Its me Kara your baby sister. It has been 4 years but I have returned!¡± I try to calm her down. ¡°That''s impossible Kara is dead. You must be an imposter whom better leave now before you get hurt.¡± Her body language changed to one of aggression. I don''t really want to get in a fight right now and she clearly isn''t going to back off. I walked to the door as talking it out with her right now would be pointless. ¡°Oh I don''t mean just from this tower I mean from the entire country of Termain. You may have fooled my gullible father and mother but I know there is no way you are Kara. Kara wouldn''t have abandoned us like that. She was way to sweet to ever put us through that turmoil willingly.¡± Well that isn''t happening I suppose I will just let her cool her jets. ¡°Well that went well¡± I say sarcastically to the guard following me. ¡°Princess Kara like your brother said your disappearance was especially difficult on her. I have been a guard for a long time, and can remember princess Claire''s enter a deep depression when you disapearred and when she came out of it she had changed. She had become very driven to get stronger. It was as if she was trying to get strong enough to prevent such an event from happening again. Just give her some time she will come around. I am sure she still loves you.¡± The guard said to me. It seems I was right about causing my family grief. After leaving the mage tower we returned to the palace. I could smell the food being cooked in the kitchens. It seems I would be having a consecutive feast in my name that has to be some kind of record. The captain of the royal guard, my father''s personal guard Zack approached us. ¡°Princess Kara your father requests you in his chambers. I will escort her from here you are dismissed.¡± Zack dismissed the guard following me. We briskly walked to our destination. When we arrived my father was sitting at his desk filled with scrolls. He asked Zack to leave so we could be alone. After shutting the door behind him my father spoke. ¡°Please Kara sit down.¡± He motioned to a chair on the other side of the desk. I complied, the chair was surprisingly comfortable. ¡°Comfy? I made it myself carpentry was one of my favorite pastimes when I was a Prince. Nowadays my time is filled stamping the scrolls covering this desk. I am also made to entertain nobles who are often too greedy¡± I did know that father had level 7 carpentry skill I kind of always wondered why. ¡°Sounds boring.¡± I reply. ¡°Haha the duty of king often is. Oh yeah thanks to you I have to find a new place to hide my sweets. The Queen has already cleaned out my vase that you exposed earlier.¡± Father said almost in a melancholy tone. ¡°I am sorry it just slipped out. I am sure you will find another place.¡± I replied. ¡°Oh you only knew about that one? I have a backup stash hidden behind that painting of the boats.¡± He got up and lifted the painting up revealing a hidden compartment. After opening it he grabbed a couple sweet-rolls. Father wasn''t obese by any means but he could stand to lose a few pounds. ¡°Sweet-roll?¡± he offered me. I reluctantly grabbed it and began to eat it. ¡°Thank you¡± I replied in which he simply nodded. ¡°Now I have talked to the Dragon queen about the situation. She explained to me that you pacted with her daughter in order to save her life and then went ahead and became a full fledged dragoon so you could leave the Dragon capital.¡± He was going over Alyssa''s story. ¡°So in effect you are married to this girl? Am I to understand this correctly?¡± He asked. ¡°That is how their society views it yes.¡± I answer his question. ¡°Hmm two girls how are you suppose to have offspring? The dragon''s are confusing people. Alyssa mentioned another thing. During your trial you became the next black knight of the dragoons.¡± Father continued his questions. ¡°You heard correctly I was about to become the golden knight but that Tiamat tricked me and Bahumut. I know that title black knight is somewhat infamous.¡± I say to my father who looks way more stressed then he did when I arrived. ¡°Indeed that is why we are going to keep your ties to the dragons and dragoons secret for now.¡± He said seriously. ¡°I have no problem keeping it a secret unfortunately it takes more then one to keep this secret. Others among the dragon-kin know about it too.¡± I explain to father. ¡°You let me and Queen Alyssa worry about that. In the mean time no black wings understand?¡± Oh I didn''t realize that aspect of keeping this secret. ¡°What I just got them I only got to fly once. This is so unfair!¡± I usually keep my cool but remembering how exhilarating flying was I couldn''t help but be upset. ¡°Please Kara understand and promise me. No black wings ok?¡± He asked nicely and with a smile. ¡°Unless my life is in serious danger I promise to not use my wings.¡± I reluctantly promised him. ¡°Next topic why didn''t you return home after you eluded your kidnappers? A lot of people died protecting you and you ran away after they sacrificed their lives protecting you.¡± This was the question I am sure my whole family had. ¡°You said they gave their lives protecting me. Why is that?¡± I turn father''s question into a question to explain my reasoning. ¡°Well they were guards and soldiers of Termain. They gladly give their lives to protect you.¡± Father replied almost automatically. ¡°You see I don''t want my countrymen dying for me, I want them living for me. I didn''t want them to protect me, I wanted to protect them. After that incident I realized I was weak and needed to get stronger.¡± I said. ¡°You were 5 years old! How were you suppose to protect them?¡± He asked slightly angered. ¡°You are right. Right then and there it was impossible for me to protect them but if that same thing happened now? I would have slaughtered every one of those mercenaries myself. You don''t become a dragoon by being weak.¡± I replied to father. ¡°Kara I have always known you were special. That you had the potential to excel in whatever you wanted. Why couldn''t you have gotten stronger here if that''s what you wanted?¡± He brought a good point. ¡°I guess it''s hard to explain here I was treated like some prodigy. All I would get from people was praise. There was nothing here that pushed me to excel, to push my potential to its limits. My time training here was limited and after my performance at Mandy''s wedding that time would have been even further diminished. I needed to be able to dedicate a majority of my time training.¡± I paused for a second and continued. ¡°Struggling to survive, to eat, to gain strength I was able to gain a new perspective on life. I am sorry for the grief I have caused but that is all I regret. The experiences friends and memories I don''t regret any of that.¡± I finished. ¡°So now you have returned home just to run away again to Mahouren? Kara you are too cruel a daughter...... Come we need to head to dinner there is a feast celebrating your return. We mustn''t keep people waiting.¡± Chapter 31 Karas magical bootcamp Chapter 31 Kara''s magical bootcamp After leaving my father''s office we and several guards headed to the dining hall. It''s amazing how the servant''s were able to pull this event off on such sort of notice. Our servant''s of course are well respected atleast by the royal family and its advisers and treated extremely well. If only the nobility of our country was as kind as us. The country of Termain is quite wealthy, we have an abundance of natural resources. We have gold, iron, silver and several other precious metals located in mines to the north and west. To the south we produce livestock and farm crops. The coast to the east has a major Port city Harbortown. Harbortown produces boats that are among the highest quality in the world and uses them to help export our metal we mine to other countries. These same boats also bring some high quality fish from the fishermen whom live there. Right now those tasty fish are being prepared in all sorts of manners and the smell is amazing. ¡°Everything smells so good! I cant wait to get some smoked silvertail. The fish in other places simply dont compare!¡± I say salivating at the smell. Siena tells me that the elves do fish really good too but I have yet to confirm it. ¡°I would have to agree with you but perhaps we are simply biased.¡± Father replied as we closed in on the dining hall. Awaiting us at the door was Claire. It seems she hasn''t calmed down from earlier. ¡°I thought I told you to leave imposter! You are very clever using enchantments to block your status from people, I can''t believe you actually fooled everyone else. They didn''t bother getting a mage to thoroughly look at you? Perhaps you are using some enchantments on them?¡± She sat in our way with her arms closed. ¡°Claire we are not doing this right now. Your sister has been immune to information magic since she was a baby, not even Headmistress Elise could use identify on her. Your mother and I are thoroughly convinced, she is your sister and your will sit down at our families table with her.¡± I had forgotten about this side of father. It had been a while since I seen this . ¡°Father but....¡± Claire tried to speak again and was quickly cut off. ¡°I will not hear anymore about this topic. Now go sit down at our table I will not have you embarrass our family in front of our guests.¡± He reaffirmed that he wasn''t going to put up with this right now. ¡°I apologize father I am not feeling well, may I be excused from dinner?¡± She the whole time looking at me with a disgusted look. ¡°No you may not be excused. You will be there and you will smile with the rest of us. By the divines grace our Kara has returned to us. A lot of people want to see our family falter but today our family will stand strong together. I don''t know why you can''t be happy like the rest us, what ever your problem is you need to get over it quickly.¡± Father had a point, word of my return would surely reach the nobility soon. If they also hear that we are fighting amongst ourselves it would weaken our position. ¡°This is not over.¡± Claire said as she walked inside with a angered look upon her face. ¡°You must forgive her, she idolized you growing up. She was extremely bashful around you because of it. It must have been awkward idolizing ones own younger sister. It may even seemed to you she was distant. Around others though she would constantly brag about you, about how perfect you were. When you disappeared she took your passion for getting stronger to heart and has trained with Abbot and other mages obsessively. For her Kara is the picture of perfection, it is hard for her to accept that you didn''t move heaven and earth to return to us.¡± Father explained his take on Claire''s strange behavior. Entering the dining hall I looked around at everyone in attendance. As this event was not planned ahead of time the nobility here was somewhat limited. But there is always some nobility visiting here as this is the capital plus there is the nobility that lives in the capital full time. As I walked in the whole room went silent, I wonder is there going to be a time where everyone in the room isn''t fixated on me? I could hear people whispering amongst each other. ''Is that really her?'' ''Where has she been all this time?'' ''She is so pretty!'' ''Who is that noble family I don''t recolonize them the Lady among them is stunning though'' ''I hope she sings! I remember her performance at princess Mandy''s wedding it was the most amazing thing I have ever heard!'' ¡°It is a proud day here in Termain. Our lost daughter princess Kara has been returned to us. My family has been made whole again let us feast of this joyous occasion.¡± Father proudly proclaimed after we sat down. Everyone started to clap and cheer for me. Well everyone but Claire. We began to eat and then the questions started pouring in from my family. ¡°So where have you been all these years? What happened 4 years ago?¡± Max didn''t waste any time asking it. ¡°Now, now I have already discussed this with Kara and it was a very traumatic time for her. What is important now is that she is back with us. Please if you have questions ask me in private. Not just for Kara, but we don''t know who is listening and some things around the situation are private¡± Father said stopping me from answering the question. I knew father didn''t want me talking about the connection to the dragons he made that clear earlier. But what about the other parts he didn''t know about? I guess I hadn''t gone in great detail about where I had been and what I had done. I don''t know what Alyssa said to him private perhaps he believes all this time I was training with the dragons. Perhaps he knows everything, I can never tell with father. His resourcefulness often surprises even me. Objectively thinking about it what would happen if I told them the truth? About Jennifer, Grena, Zyrus, Tiamat. They would either not believe or would be scared to death of me. Also how would explain my assassinations, skipping an opportunity to return home at the summit tournament, leading a raid to kill the son of the most powerful noble family in this country. I came back with the intention of being mostly transparent with my family only holding the most juicy of secrets from them. I suppose discretion is the better part of Valor. ¡°Well if we cant talk about me lets talk about you guys.¡± I say as Father was receiving death glares from each of my siblings and mother. ¡°Max have you found a wife yet? I am sure you have all the ladies lining up.¡± I say asking him. ¡°A fine question Kara I was wondering the same. I want grandchildren before I croak¡± Mother added I had successfully turned the attention away form me. ¡°Well you know I am really busy with the military. While our relations with Jabel are great, our neighbor to the west is a lot less friendly. I feel as Darius''s war with the beastmen draw to an end, his attention will soon turn toward us. I must make sure our western boarder is adequately defended. It is not hard to imagine a war on the horizon¡± Max said explaining the situation. The beastmen almost defeated? Darius has progressed a lot quicker then I could have ever imagined. ¡°Really the mighty beastmen losing this war that fast? Furnor has withstood centuries of attempted invasions. Darius must have an ace up his sleeve to be able to defeat them this quickly.¡± I say understanding the situation. ¡°As wise as ever, yes somehow Darius has acquired some type of new power. He himself has been able to personally wipe out entire company''s of beastmen soldiers. Our scouts say it is almost like he is able predict things before they happen. If 10 arrows fly at him he steps in the perfect place for them all to miss. What we don''t get is he never displayed this power until recently¡± Major, major red flag this is bad. Precognition is a psionic power, I have looked at Darius''s status personally he didn''t have any psionic abilities. That leaves the strong possibility that he is a demi-gods champion. ¡°That is indeed troublesome Darius was already formidable but with that type of power he would become a true monster.¡± I will need better intel but Darius is definitely on my radar big time now. I still owe him for four years ago. ¡°Well Kara since we aren''t allowed to talk about the past right now I suppose we could talk about your future.¡± It was Mother Ria. ¡°Well as you know I am about to be 9 years old and the age for entrance to Mahouren is 9. I have the desire to attend there.¡± I say and it almost brings my mom to tears. ¡°Really?! All my daughter''s are going to abandon me to attend the school I went to Kara you are too cruel.¡± Mother almost had the same line that father had a little bit ago. ¡°You can''t be serious, she is going to Mahouren? Father I must object not only I doubt her identity, the entrance into Mahouren isn''t easy I doubt she would pass. It would be an insult to the Rosewood name if she fails.¡± Claire said now almost panicking. ¡°Claire I thought I said I would hear no more of this. If Kara desires to attend Mahouren then Kara will attend Mahouren.¡± Father quickly backed me causing Claire to give me the evil glare. ¡°Claire as the fourth year representative, student council vice president, as well as the leader of the discipline committee. You are suppose to be an ambassador of the school. Belittling a potential student is not a thing an ambassador should do.¡± Mother added. It seems Claire is a big shot at school. ¡°Whatever have fun with this fraud I am full and retiring for the evening.¡± She got up and left the table I could tell the father was very angry. He however shook his head ''no'' at the guard wondering if he needed to go and sit Claire back down. ¡°Aaron you have been quiet this whole time. What have you been up to.¡± I say looking at my brother who usually keeps to himself. ¡°Nothing too exciting. Just training and studying.¡± He tried to deflect attention from himself. ¡°When I was at the barracks earlier I noticed you had quite the impressive long bow? You prefer the bow over the sword?¡± I ask I already know his skill with a bow is level 6 and his main class is Archer. ¡°Yes I found that I had a natural affinity to the bow. It may not be as noble as a sword but it is just as deadly and with a bigger range.¡± He replied. ¡°How about you Kara I know we are not bringing up your past but how about your skills? I remember you always training even before we took training seriously. I can''t imagine how strong you have gotten? What was your specialty daggers right?¡± Aaron asked trying to bring the attention back on me. ¡°Oh I may have picked up a thing or two but my focus now is purely on magic. What ever skills I have pale in comparison to your skills with a bow or the swordsmanship of the Lightning blade prince.¡± I say once again trying to deflect the attention. ¡°So you have heard of my nickname before?¡± Max quickly asked. ¡°Yes the elven girl with me made mention of you something about you in the finals of the summit tournament¡± Time to mess with him. ¡°Of course an elf would know about that. Maybe she knows where that Lara went. I wish for a rematch against her.¡± He said hand clenched not realizing that that Lara was sitting right in front of him. Aaron face cracked with a small smirk when he said this. Dinner went on for a while. We were able to somewhat catch up but the mystery behind my disappearance was still bothering everyone. Finally a tiny little girl from one of noble families walked up. It appears she was sneaky enough to slip past her own family and our guards. She was only 4 years old. ¡°Princess Kara my mommy says you had the prettiest voice she ever heard! Won''t you sing for us?¡± She asked as a woman came up and scooped her up. ¡°I am terribly sorry your majesty she loves music and when she asked about this feast I told her about the first time I saw you at your sister Mandy''s wedding. Violet apologize please.¡± The woman said to the little child. ¡°I am sorry I just wanted to hear you sing.¡± Her apology made my heart melt she was way to adorable. ¡°Sure why not, but if I do you have to promise to listen to your mommy from now on ok?¡± I said making the little girl agree nodding her head furiously. Father obviously wasn''t too excited about this the last time I preformed caused a series of events that led to my going missing for 4 years. However I am not going hide from anyone anymore. ¡°Where is my lute?¡± I asked apparently it was in my room. After sending a servant to go retrieve it I got up from my seat and stood in front of the table my family was sitting at. Finally the servant returned with my lute. ¡°It seems that many in the audience want to hear me sing, as part of the Rosewood family, your host I feel obliged to entertain you. This a song I heard on my travels¡± I began playing a song I picked up from a bard in a tavern. It was about coming home. I felt it was appropriate. ¡°I packed my wagon and left a sudden¡± ¡°Not a second thought to my actions¡± ¡°The only thought in my head was¡± ¡°Somewhere had to be better then here¡± ¡°I traveled far to the north¡± ¡°The snow took away all the warmth¡± ¡°I tried to make camp but bandits came at me¡± ¡°To the west I did flee.¡± ¡°I reached the ocean and had to change course.¡± ¡°Hunger set in and I ate my horse.¡± ¡°Cold to the north and bandits to the east¡± ¡°South was the direction for me¡± ¡°I reached a huge town on the ocean¡± ¡°This must be where I truly belong¡± ¡°I talked to people but they didn''t talk back¡± ¡°Friendliness this city did lack.¡± ¡°I tried to make a living as a chef¡± ¡°But the taxes were so high I had nothing left¡± ¡°Fed up with the taxes I headed east.¡± ¡°Surely there is a place for me¡± ¡°The road was long but I was not done¡± ¡°I ended back at the town I started from.¡± ¡°Everyone was nice and remembered me¡± ¡°I met a special someone and now we''re three¡± ¡°I don''t what was going through my head.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°All those years ago¡± ¡°When I decided to leave home¡± The song was so emotional. I planned to do more songs but I couldn''t. Emotionally I was spent, I simply returned to my seat amongst deafening applause. The smile on little Violet''s face was amazing. Dark times are coming, she will need memories like these to carry her through it. After the applause died down so did the party people began to leave bidding there farewells to us and thanking me for my performance. Finally Alyssa, Skyler, and her guard Siefer came up. ¡°Kara what a beautiful voice you have, thank you for that. As for us we are leaving Skyler with you as you two will head to Mahouren soon. Please take care of her and help her get strong like you. I am sure we will meet again not before too long.¡± With that Alyssa said goodbye to Skyler and left. ¡°Kara you that was so good! You were basically a younger replica of Jeni....... Nevermind.¡± She was going to mention someone who didn''t exist in this world. ¡°Thank you. You should get some rest we start bright and early.¡± I said with a smirk on my face slacker-chan isn''t going to like what I have in store for her. ¡°Bright and early for what? I am confused.¡± She looked at in disarray. ¡°You think they let everyone into Mahouren? You think that nobility gets in defacto? I hate to break it to you they don''t. Mahouren has and will always be the best because the only students that get in are the most talented. A first year student is expected to be able to cast level 1 spell of two elements as a bare minimum. How ever even this is not enough. There are a limited amount of spots available so if you don''t show enough talent or potential to fit in the top group of students taking the entrance exams it is home-ward bound for you.¡± I could see slacker-chan clearly sweating at this news. ¡°Thankfully you have me. Kara''s first year entrance exam boot camp starts tomorrow I suggest you get sleep now since we are starting at first light. Oh that reminds me I need to talk to Abbot.¡± Skyler''s face was absolutely petrified when I said boot-camp. I need her with me at Mahouren she is my responsibility to protect. I wont have her not get in. I looked around for the court mage Abbot and quickly found him. ¡°Abbot I need a favor.¡± I asked him ¡°Anything within my power is at your disposal princess.¡± He replied corgially. ¡°Do you still have the gravity runes? The ones I use to ummm ''borrow''.¡± I said borrow but I actually took them without permission. ¡°I think so I will have to look to be sure though, come see me in the tower tomorrow. Anything else princess?¡± He asked. ¡°Oh yea good thing you reminded me I need a few herbs. Hermit mushrooms, Morning''s breath, and Lady of the valley.¡± I listed off some herbs I needed to help with Skyler''s training. ¡°Those are all common herbs from this area, there should be no problem. How has your progress in the art of alchemy coming?¡± Abbot was my original sensei in alchemy it would be rude of me to just blow him totally off. ¡°Here take this I made it a while ago without any rare ingredient''s so don''t worry about taking it. Think of it as payment for the herb''s you are going to give me. Oh don''t go telling everyone about it, though I doubt I need to tell you that. ¡± I tossed him one of my high potion''s I had left. He inspected it even took a very small sip. ¡°You made this with no rare ingredient''s? Incredible, amazing, to think that you haven''t even went through magic school. I must be the most blessed court mage ever to live, to witness and nurture the growth of 3 prodigies all sisters in the same royal family. You could easily be the most talented of the lot ¡± Abbot got all teary eyed. He did have a point the magical affinity within our family was a bit much. Even Max and Aaron who won''t become mages have excellent control of basic spells. ¡°You taught me well Abbot and I am thankful for that. I know that your skill in alchemy is great. Perhaps you could make more gold as an alchemist¡± Alchemists in this world are well paid for their services. ¡°My duty is always to Termain and the Crown besides I wouldn''t pass up the opportunity to help you and your sisters grow in the arcane arts. Oh I just realized something, the fates truly must smile upon you.¡° Abbot said realizing something. ¡°Oh of all years to attend Mahouren and learn alchemy. An old acquaintance of mine is going to fill the role for the retired Orpheus in the alchemy department. Oh all people he should be able to help you advance even farther in alchemy.¡± Old acquaintance? While I doubt he will be able to teach me anything the possibility that he can is still out there if Abbot holds him in such high esteem I guess it is possible . I guess I have something to look forward to. I said goodbye to a few more people before departing to the my room. When I approached my room I noticed a presence there I stopped for a second registering it the guard escorting me asked if anything was wrong in which I said everything was fine. Things were about to get interesting. As I stepped through my door I felt a specialized barrier one to keep sound from leaking out. I closed my door and immediately shadowstepped behind where the presence was they were using an invisibility spell but with my gift I was not fooled. I pressed against their back with a dagger. ¡°Don''t move or I will slip this dagger inside of you.¡± I say with my other hand I cast a dispel spell and afterwards my assailant was revealed. It was none other then Claire. I removed my dagger away from her back. ¡°Sister you need to work on your mana concealment I was able to easily detect you. What brings you to my quarters so late conceiled with invisibility magic¡± I walked around to her front sheathing my dagger. ¡°That''s a nifty skill you just used Kara where did you pick it up?¡± She said looking at me with killing intent still. ¡°So you don''t think I am an impostor anymore. What caused you to change your mind.¡± I asked her. ¡°Oh when I heard you sing, I heard you from my room and I came to investigate. Only Kara has such a perfect voice, it became obvious. You truly are Kara my sister¡± She said to me still seemingly upset. ¡°So your not happy its really me? Isn''t this better for you?¡± I ask trying to understand her behavior. ¡°No this is worse, much worse then if you were an imposter. I could deal with you being an imposter. What I can''t deal with is the fact that my own sister abandoned us. Father might be stopping you from talking but it is not because of it being traumatic. It''s either something that would embarrass the family or something that would cause us to become a target. Anyways I already figured it out¡± She said her face was almost as red as her hair now. I went to talk but she quickly just talked over me. ¡°Look the Kara I knew was not a weak girl. The thing she hated the most was being coddled and the one thing she enjoyed the most was getting stronger. After escaping your kidnappers you had a choice right? Return home and get coddled more or abandon us and get stronger on your own. Tell me I am wrong! Look me in the face and tell me that wasn''t the case¡± Her voice rose to a scream. I wanted to say it was not so, but I was unable to. I just looked at her with defeated expression. ¡°Do you have any idea what it is like to be sandwiched between two sisters like you and Mandy? Everyone talking about how I have a wonderful older sister. How she was Champion of the Mahouren student tournament one of the most talented students in the school. And how you were so beautiful, how your voice was so angelic! How you had the purest mana they had ever seen and a gift preventing people from seeing your status unheard of before. I am sick of it! I may not be as talented as you two but I will outwork you two and surpass you. When you disappeared and I thought you died, I wished it was me that had died! You who had all the talent in the world instead of me who was only slightly talented. I vowed I would do my best to get stronger to protect my family. I can''t believe I envied a bitch who would abandon her own family for such a selfish notion of becoming stronger! Do you have any idea how crushed we all were. Mother almost committed suicide, all because of you Miss Perfect. Do us all a favor next time you die stay dead we are all better off without you.¡± She screamed out at me clearly extremely upset. After a brief pause. used space-time to teleport away. I honestly can''t say I blame her for her behavior. What she said was all true. I just hope that one day she will be able to forgive me. I sat at my desk finishing the prep work for the potions I would make tomorrow for Skyler. I couldn''t help but think about Claire''s rant. I hope eventually she can forgive me because we are going to be running into each other a lot from now on. As I laid down the comfort of my bed I hadn''t slept in for years quickly helped me drift off....... Black, completely dark above me a light begins to illuminate the area. The light was moonlight and the area I was in was a cave. There is but a single rosebud in an otherwise desolate cave but this rose was different then any other rose I had seen. This rosebud was completely black. Thump. Why was my heart beating so fast? Thump... Thump. Something is not right but what is it? Then I noticed it, two red eyes in the darkness just beyond where the moonlight stopped. These eyes were unlike anything I have ever seen, they were of pure evil focused solely on me. A low growing noise came from it, all of sudden clouds must have blocked the moon because the moonlight disappeared. After taking my attention off the red eyes for a split second to check on the hole in the roof, I turned it back to the red eyes. The eyes however were a lot larger now because now those eyes were mere feet away from me. A terrifying roar of pure killing intent rang out. This creature wasn''t coming out of a predatory instinct this thing was coming to take my life for the sake of killing. Right before the eyes reached a felt a hand on my shoulder. Immediately I had my knife at the throat of the person who had touched me. After opening my eyes I found that person was Aaron. ¡°I am so sorry I was having a bad dream.¡± I said to the now scared shitless Aaron. I quickly took my dagger away from his throat. ¡°I was up early this morning and thought I would stop by and say hello. Do you always sleep with a dagger by your side?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes...... ¡° I reluctantly confirmed it. ¡°Anyways I just wanted to apologize for my awkward behavior yesterday. I just couldn''t believe you were actually alive.¡± He said to me kind of looking to the side. ¡°Your reaction was odd indeed it was almost as if you weren''t surprised to see me.¡± I say now paying attention to his response. ¡°Well I did always have faith you were still out there. I met someone very similar to you, so similar that I could almost swear you two were the same person. We met at a masquerade so I didn''t get to see her whole face¡± He said obviously referring to our run in a couple years ago. ¡°Oh I have a doppelganger somewhere? Describe them to me don''t leave out any details!¡± I say trying to play off it wasn''t me. ¡°They had the same exact hair as you and it almost seemed like they knew exactly who I was even toying with me at times. They danced with me and it was so majestic how we performed everyone watched us as we danced. I wanted to ask her, her name but..¡± Before he got the next part it was time for teasing. ¡°So you fancy girls who look like me? It''s very perverted but I don''t mind. I don''t think father will approve of us together but if you promise to take care of me.....¡± It is so fun to tease him. His cheeks went bright red and I broke the awkwardness with my laughter. ¡°Kara that was mean. You know I love you but in a total brotherly way.¡± He tried to save face. ¡°I am sure.......anyways did you end up getting her name? The mystery girl who is my twin?¡± My gaze went back to Aaron. ¡°Well I did get one of her names. The Angel of Death, she successful took out a duke right there at the masquerade ball.¡± He said apprehensively. ¡°A masquerade that father let you in had lax enough security to let an assassin through? That''s unbelievable.¡± I say knowing full well that father would not have let that happen. ¡°Father doesn''t know........anyways the point I wanted to make is that if you and that girl I meet really were the same person I wouldn''t mind in the least bit. In fact it would make me happy.¡± I didn''t expect that at all. ¡°You wouldn''t mind if your sister was the Angel of Death? Not only did she pass up an opportunity to return home she also killed a person of nobility in cold blood in front of you. Not to mention that politically that would be a major nightmare wouldn''t it?¡± I say to him all valid points. ¡°I don''t care that duke was an evil person who beat his own wife to death, and stole from his people and kingdom. He deserved to die. In fact every single murder the Angel of Death committed was against despicable people. I think her nickname is appropriate since the only ones who she kills are ones who truly deserve it, as if she is the right hand of god punishing them for there evil deeds. If I found out my sister was this person I would only feel pride for them.¡± His face turned serious when he said that. I guess this his way of saying look I know what you did and I support it. ¡°Well I hate to break it to you I am not that cool to be this person you called ''The Angel of Death''.¡± I say to him, with a smile betraying my lie not that it would have fooled him anyways. ¡°Oh course your not... Anyways I just wanted to wish you a good day sis. It''s good to have you back. Don''t worry about Claire I am sure she will come around eventually.¡± With that he departed. After using my private bath to clean up, and getting dressed in very light gear I headed to see Abbot. Guards still were a little tentative with me giving me appraising looks. It must have been weird for them to all a sudden have a new person roaming around armed in the royal palace. Don''t worry I wont be here that long. It took me only a couple of minutes to reach the tower. At the top Claire was already busy training inside the hollow barrier. She gave me the stinkeye when I entered the tower but otherwise ignored me as I conducted my business. Swiftly I prepared the mana potions and stamina potions. These would allow me to push Skyler beyond her limits for training a luxury I did not have when I trained what a lucky girl. ¡°Incredible work, mana and stamina potions are very rare because the skill level to prepare them is so high. I didn''t even recognize a few of your techniques who has taught you?¡± He asked now curious. ¡°Oh many technique''s I use are ones I came up with myself. The only teacher I have had for alchemy is you. The rest I have taught myself from either reading books or experimenting.¡± The truth is I use a lot of scientific knowledge from my previous life to my advantage. Magical compounds still have chemical properties you can take advantage of in alchemy. Like for example lets say you have a magical oil but mixed in it is a compound you don''t want that inhibits the oil. You can add a non-polar liquid substance to dissolve the oil up then separate it from the other compound. Then you just evaporate. Techniques in this world focus heavily on using elemental magic and other magical compounds to separate stuff a lot of the time this method is superior but not always as it is always situational with each compound. ¡°I must go now thank you again for the herbs.¡± I waved goodbye and went to go get Skyler from her room. It seemed the whole castle was up and about hustling. I reached Skyler''s room and there was a familiar face to greet me. ¡°You didn''t take you long to fit back in here.¡± It was Siena I guess she wanted to say goodbye and figured I would come here. ¡°Yes so you came to say goodbye? I will miss you I will send you letters through the guild.¡± I will miss her but her staying with me was going to be impossible at Mahouren and she should move on as well. ¡°You aren''t going to beg me to stay? Please big sis Siena stay! I don''t know what I would do without you. You are so strong and so awesome, I need you to save me the damsel when danger arises. Please stay.¡± She tried to imitate me but failed horribly. ¡°Weird I don''t recall you actually saving me once. In fact the only saving I remember was me saving you. I did mention I would miss you though you are sort of a little sister to me¡± I reply poking fun of her juvenile personality. ¡°Little sister? I will have you know I am over 100 years older then you.¡± She proudly claimed ¡°Could had me fooled with your behavior. Anyways I guess this is goodbye.¡± I say sort with a somber tone. ¡°Goodbye? I think I am going to hang out around here in Lorrington for a while, this place has great food, shops, and people. It reminds me of Rivenvale the elven capital. Plus your mother has agreed to let me help escort you and your sister''s transportation to Mahouren and stay in the palace till then as a guest. I love your mom by the way I can tell we are going to be good friends, we both have similar tastes in wine, food, and uh um other things. She had a lot of questions about you¡± Oh no this is bad Siena will corrupt my mother! She is a married woman this is not good! ¡°....¡± I tried to say something but nothing came out. I suppose some extra time with Siena before we separate is fine. ¡°Goodbye Siena go enjoy some wine with my mother.¡± I say and walk past her and say in an annoyed tone but secretly I was happy about it. I walked into the guest room and see Slacker-chan still asleep. I can''t believe her everyone in the castle is awake but her. I walk right up to the bed and look down Skyler is hugging a pillow and talking in her sleep. ¡°Kara-chan you can''t do that here what if someone sees us...¡± She rolled around a little bit in her bed and continued. ¡°Kara-chan why are you tying me up? I didn''t know you were into bondage. I am not sure about this. Wait I forgot the safeword already!¡± She then gasped. ¡°Kara! What perverse magic did you use? That thing is huge! You say it was one the abilities you gained when becoming demon king?! What exactly do you plan to do with it...¡± I had to stop this. ¡°Skyler wake up!¡± I yelled and shook her shoulder. ¡°So that was only a dream.¡± Skyler said now awake taking in her surroundings. ¡°You seem disappointed. Is plain old Kara not as exciting as Demon-King Kara? What exactly was huge in your dream.¡± I say now teasing. ¡°You pervert! I can''t believe you, Kara all the things you were doing to me.¡± She said an slapped me across the face. ¡°So I get the blame for what my dream version did to you? How is that fair?¡± I say kind of in shock she actually slapped me. ¡°Anyways it is way to early I think I am going to back to sleep.¡± She said and rolled over. ¡°Guess I will have to let them know you are not interested in going to Mahouren after all.¡± I began to walk out of the room. ¡°Kara wait you are not serious are you?¡± She rolled back over and looked at me heading for the door. ¡°Skyler when I have not been serious? If you don''t take this seriously you will fail the entrance exams that I promise you. In fact I wanted to start earlier today but I had to run errands tomorrow will start at the crack of dawn. Unless you don''t want to go to Mahouren with me, then you can sleep in all you want.¡± I will help you but I literally can''t do it for you. ¡°Ugh ok lets do it.¡± She got up finally. ¡°Hurry and get dressed meet me in the gardens in 10 minutes. I will be by the fountain of the man spearing the lion. Wear something light as you will be moving a lot¡± I left her scrambling to get dressed. About 15 minutes later she showed up to the gardens. ¡°5 minutes late, I will let it slide today just try to do better. I am doing this for you after all.¡± She apologized but I wasn''t too mad about it. ¡°Now for the first part of your training wear these.¡± I gave her two arm bands that had made using the gravity runes I borrowed from Abbot. She put them on. ¡°Wow these make it so the my gravity is increased slightly. Now what?¡± She asked now curious. ¡°We run around this trail on the outside of the Gardens.¡± Before she could say something I took off. After running about 5 miles, and having Skyler go about 1 I stopped noticing that she was approaching her limit stamina-wise. ¡°Ok a quick break, drink this its a potion I made.¡± Out of breath to say anything she grabbed the potion and chugged it down. ¡°Wow that tasted delicious and I can already feel my my energy return.¡± She said marveling at the effects of the stamina potion. ¡°Good because we are only half done with cardio.¡± I took off again and reluctantly so did Skyler ¡°You really are the demon-king Kara¡± Again my pace far exceeded Skyler''s and that is fine I was getting in my training as well. After completing the second half of the cardio Skyler was once again spent on laying on the ground. ¡°Don''t tell me you are going to give me an other energy potion and make me run more. Also I don''t see how this is helping me with magic. Also why are you making me run with these gravity runs while you run without them.¡± Skyler said agitated by actual work. ¡°To your first comment, no another potion this soon from drinking the first one will have no effect. The terminology in this world for that is potion saturation, potion saturation lasts about 4 hours that is the time the body takes to digest the potion. In our old world in the mmos, this was known as a cool-down. There is of course exceptions to this rule. A potion that replenishes health can be taken directly after a potion for mana both for full effect. Only the effect that potion garners goes on cool-down. Also as you remember there is certain ways to cheese the rule, as with pouring a potion in a wound or bathing in a potion.¡± I continued ¡°I will answer your third question now, I am wearing gravity runes also. Mine are a lot stronger of course.¡± I pulled off the two armbands I was using and handed it to Skyler. She put them on and instantly was sprawled out on the ground. ¡°Kara please take them off I can''t move!¡± I chuckled and removed them from her. ¡°Kara how in the world did you run so fast with them on? It was even hard for me to breath with them on.¡± Skyler was shocked that I ran in them so effortlessly. ¡°So the runes you were using are about a 1.1. So the gravity is 1.1 times stronger around you. I was using 4.0 so the effect of gravity is quadrupled. The use of the gravity runes lets compress our training in shorter periods of time, making it possible to spend all our resource in a fraction of the time. ¡° I explain why we were using these. ¡°The answer to your second question is two-part. The most important reason we are training your body is because it is essential for a mage to keep their bodies strong and fit. Your body holds your mana so it makes only sense that it is in shape. Think of your body as a river and your mana as the water flowing through it. What happens to a river with loose soil that is not very sturdy when the flow of the water increases such as with a large rain?¡± Skyler took a second to answer. ¡°It erodes?¡± She answered. ¡°Yes exactly. A weak vessel can not stand an increase in force and will crumble. When this happens with mana it can get very ugly. Ruptured magic pathways not only hinder your potential as a mage, they also can physically cripple you. It is extremely hard to repair them, most likely you will be stuck a cripple if it happens to you.¡± Skyler was just silent. She realized I wasn''t just being mean with all the running. That I was doing it for her own good. ¡°The second reason is for experience. When starting out training your body is the quickest way to level up. You are a bit under-leveled for Mahouren but that will soon change. Let''s wash up so we can begin the second part of your training.¡± We both took a quick bath, afterward I lead her into a small classroom like room in the mage tower, complete with a chalkboard and desks. ¡°What are we doing here? How am I going to learn magic without trying to cast it?¡± She didn''t understand. ¡°Have you attempted to use magic before?¡± I asked her knowing the answer already. ¡°Yes¡± Skyler said. ¡°Did you succeed?¡± I asked next. ¡°No I couldn''t even do a level one spell I even said the incantation right and everything¡± She said looking disappointed. ¡°To be honest it took me awhile to get the hang of it so don''t feel bad. Before ever casting a spell the caster should have a basic understanding of elemental and non elemental forces they meddle with. Here let me draw you a diagram.¡± I draw what is known as the Banth Diagram named after the person who came up with the founder of Mahouren Sage Jayce Banth. ¡°This is a Banth Diagram explaining the basic relationship each element has with one another. There are 8 prime elemental forces. Fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, void, dark, and holy. As you can see in the diagram first 5 each have a unique counter and unique element they counter. Fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning these 5 are often called the base five. Water counters fire, fire counters wind, wind counters earth, earth counters lightning, and lightning counters water. The next two holy and dark counter each other in other words they are both effective against each other neither having an advantage and have no other element that is especially effective against them. The last element is not really an element it is similar to a vacuum. Void magic is easily the most difficult magic to master and one of the most powerful because it has the possibility of countering every single element when used right. All magic barriers use void magic.¡± I explain the diagram in detail. ¡°But there is more types of magics then you mentioned like space-time magic, illusion magic and information magic.¡± Skyler had a good question. ¡°Yes those would be among the non-elemental forces and some magic are what we call hybrid elemental. I doubt we will have enough time these couple weeks for you to master any of those. For now lets focus only on the base five, I think if you can master level one spells for the these five elements you will get into Mahouren without a doubt. This however will not be easy.¡± As always start with the basics. ¡°Ok I think I understand can you explain the casting process. Gamon tried to teach me once but I was too busy napping to pay attention.¡± She seemed to be geniunely interested. "A cast consists of three parts. First to perform a cast you first must channel you mana. Second once your mana is channeled you use an incantation to draw forth the forces you are using. Finally you expel the forces you have channeled up as a cast, making sure to properly aim at your target.¡± Skyler looked dumbfounded. ¡°How exactly do I channel mana?¡± Ugh this was going to be a long couple of weeks for both her and me. Chapter 32 Departure for Mahouren Chapter 32 Departure for Mahouren ¡°Mighty tides I beckon you. Wash away impurities, and displace my enemies. Tidal surge!¡± Skyler using a staff succeeded in casting a level one spell tidal surge at a target dummy I set up. I was surprised her tidal surge was quite impressive. The stream of water was atleast 1 meter in diameter. The staff I picked out for her was well made you can say I have quite the eye when it comes to appraising things but it didn''t account for this much power behind a simple level one spell. A level one tidal surge should only be about half that even with a staff. Her training had gone quite well she could cast level one of water, wind, earth, and lightning. The only element of the base 5 she couldn''t do was fire. And her affinity to cast wind and water magic was extremely good. She had the blessing of the Azure dragon, I am assuming her success with those two elements had to do with that. With some more work I can see her getting in Mahouren after all. I mean of course she has the best sensei teaching her the basics afterall. ¡°That is all for today. Tomorrow when we leave for Mahouren we can go over the next part of the entrance exams while we travel.¡± I say to Skyler as we walk back to the castle. ¡°The written part right? I was always bad at tests.¡± Skyler face turned sad when she said that. ¡°Yes the written part only counts for a small part of the score but when the entrance scores are all so close it could make the difference between getting in or not.¡± She is not good with written tests but that doesn''t mean we can''t get her to a point where it wont screw her over. ¡°We are ending early today huh.¡± Skyler remarked as we ended sooner then we had in the past couple weeks. ¡°Yes mother wanted us in extra early today for a surprise birthday party.¡± I say despondently. I always hated these birthday parties, Mother always goes all out. ¡°Kara how did you know?! I didn''t let it slip did I? Oh I am so much trouble now!¡± Skyler said panicking she ruined the surprise. ¡°Oh please Skyler you think something like this would slip by me? Libby has filled me in with all the details its impossible for her to lie to me. Anyways I knew mother would do this she loves this kind of stuff.¡± My new personal maid Libby had gotten approval from the head maid to begin to serve me. She tells me that she has never encountered anyone who learned things as fast as her. I guess being an automaton has its benefits. ¡°Kara you took advantage of poor Libby? Unbelievable! Do you have no shame?¡± She looked at me angrily. ¡°Well what ever lets get this over with.¡± I said as we head back to the palace. As soon as we reached the palace we were quickly hurried away to the baths. After cleaning up, the maids which included Libby began to dress us. There was a big problem though. ¡°This dress is pink. I hate pink is there another option?¡± I ask annoyed. My resistance to adapting to female attire had all but disapearred however there was still a shred left of my male pride and it despised this pink frilly dress. ¡°I am sorry the queen requested you wear this dress to lunch.¡± The maid replied coldly. ¡°Such a fancy dress for a simple lunch. She knows I hate pink, she must be punishing me for leaving.¡± I reluctantly gave in and put on the most girly piece of clothing I have ever had to wear. It didn''t end there the maids also made sure that my hair and makeup was done too.. I will be out of this ridiculous getup as soon as possible. Skyler''s outfit was just as frilly as she had a similar dress in a blue color. I wish I could trade with her. ¡°Aren''t you just a pretty princess in a pink dress.¡± She teased seeing how embarrassed I was from my blushing she continued. ¡°Didn''t realize you liked pink I think it is first time I have ever seen you in that color. It definitely suits you, and fits what they did with your hair, makeup and jewelry.¡± She drove the dagger even deeper in my minuscule male pride that was all but dead now. Mother hasn''t asked for much from me, and now I am leaving her for a prolonged time once again. If all she wants from me is to be her pretty daughter in a frilly dress for a birthday party I suppose its the least I can do. It doesn''t mean I have to like it. The whole ordeal of getting ready for the ''lunch'' took well over an hour. I don''t understand how women do it. I spent less time packing for my upcoming trip to Mahouren. Painstakingly going through every jewelry combination in the mirror is just a waste of time I could be training. We were finally escorted to the banquet hall. ¡°Surprise!¡± Everyone screamed out as we entered the hall. There was quite the showing for my party and there was a table with a mountain of gifts to the side along with a ginormous cake. Still annoyed at the situation but thankful for the turnout and work that went into it I put on the best fake smile I could muster. ¡°Wow thank you mother this is unexpected. Father, Max and Aaron couldn''t come?¡± I say as mother greeted us. ¡°Something came up earlier and there had to be an emergency war council I am sure they will be here soon. Anyways back to you, Kara you look absolutely breathtaking. You clean up really good, it would be nice if you allowed yourself to get done up like this a lot more often. You would have all the princes fighting to the death for your hand in marriage.¡± She said very pleased that I was all dolled up for her. ¡°Father told you I was already bound to someone right? I am afraid that all the princes are just going to be disappointed they fought over nothing.¡± I say causing Skyler to blush quite visibly. ¡°Well your father did mention something of the sort but as you know things don''t always go as you plan them. I was at first going to marry another person other then your father but yet I am here married to him. He never did tell me who specifically you were bound to.¡± She tried catch me off guard with her latest question. ¡°All will be revealed in time.¡± I simply deflected the question. Other then having to be done up as a pretty princess the party was good. All the food was my favorites, the entertainment was from my bard sensei who easily was the best in the country. The gifts were hit or miss. I got a lot of fancy jewelry that I didn''t care for. There were several interesting gifts however. Abbot the court mage gave me some alchemy equipment he said that it was just extra stuff he had. But I could tell that he was just being humble about how amazing his gift was. This equipment was all top of the line, and even included a rig for transmutation a branch of alchemy I haven''t really explored a lot yet. With this equipment my alchemy skills can now extend beyond just potions, poisons and elixirs. My gift from Max was of note as well. He knowing my love for weapons asked me what I wanted for his blacksmith to craft for me as a gift. Alistar Stoneheart a renown dwarven blacksmith who calls Termain his home, was his blacksmith in fact he crafted my first dagger given to me when I was 5. I have never met him but everything I have seen of his was extremely high quality it is quite possible he is the best dwarven blacksmith outside of the red mountains.. In fact the only superior weapons other then his I have encountered are my katana and wakizashi I won at the summit tournament. Max told me to custom order anything I wanted. At first when he approached me about this I flat told him it was too much and to save his money. But he insisted and wouldn''t take no for an answer. Onii-sama needs to find a woman that''s not me to blow money on. I wonder how his relationship with Felicia is coming along. This lead me to describe a set of daggers I had envisioned. Basically I wanted a set of daggers made of Mithril that were adamantium edged. Mithril in this word was a rare metal that was slightly stronger then iron but a lot weaker then Adamantium. So why would use an inferior metal in terms of tensile strength? It is simple Mithril has one quality that Adamantium doesn''t, it can work as a conduit to magic. To make up for its weakness I asked them to be adamantium edged. The end result was a pair of extremely expensive daggers I suspect my brother spent a small fortune on. The were nicely done and a lot better then my old set of daggers. I was building quite the arsenal for my self. I named them Mahou Tanto. As my party was coming to end I couldn''t help but notice that Siena was not here. Its weird that she would pass up a chance to see me in such princessy attire. Something is up if she is not here. That is when my mother came up to me. ¡°Oh Kara its time for my gift.¡± She said with a huge smile across her face, this is guaranteed to be some kind of dress or jewelry. ¡°Kara royalty who attend Mahouren have always been given 2 servants to assist them while at school. Customarily there is a maid and a guard. Your friend Libby has been fully trained to be a maid, I am told she was an exceptional trainee.¡± She said and motioned Libby who was dressed in a cute maid outfit to come over she came up to me and curtseyed. I couldn''t help but smile how cute she looked. Ok I have my own adorable automaton maid, I promise you this wasn''t a fantasy of mine back in my Taiko days....... Back to the topic of servants, I don''t want a guard. They will most likely just get in my way. ¡°I don''t think a guard will be necessary mother. Mahouren has its own guard regiment not to mention the teachers are all powerful mages easily able to defend their students.¡± I say to her trying to sway her from making me have a personal guard. ¡°Oh I wont hear it Kara, I have already lost you once I will not have it happen again. This is non negotiable. Anyways I have the perfect person for the job. There just so happened to be a trusted S ranked adventurer in Lorrington who is a personal friend of mine and when I approached them they agreed to take the position without even asking how much it paid. Come here Siena Amberwood¡± ¡­........... Siena my guard? What the hell is she thinking? She is an S ranked adventurer being a personal guard seems beneath her. Siena walked up to us and bowed to Mother. ¡°Princess Kara I will be watching over you from now on.¡± Siena acted very formal and polite. ¡°May you excuse us for a brief minute, I wish to talk to my ''guard'' in private?¡± I ask hiding my apprehension to this whole thing. ¡°Certainly take as long as you like¡± My mother excused us. I quickly led Siena out into the hallway and then to a place we couldn''t be heard. ¡°Siena you are making a mistake, following me around is going to get boring for you quick. Plus I am sure that it doesn''t pay as good as being an adventurer.¡± I say to Siena. ¡°You would be surprised how well it pays, anyways remember back in Atlus when you made me stay behind during the final assault? I promised I would get you back didn''t I?¡± That was the reason? Yeah nice but I don''t think that is it. ¡°That''s not the reason you are doing this. You and I have a close friendship but that can''t be the real reason either. There is something else right?¡± I say trying to get a read on my new bodyguard. ¡°Kara did you know you are scary? The way you read people is almost on par with how you can manipulate them when needed.......Other then you and Zyra I have one other person that I am close to. Do you remember how I told you the Amberwoods are a big family?¡± I simply nodded remembering the conversation about Siena''s family who were elven nobles. ¡°Well I didn''t lie but I didn''t tell you everything, one of my siblings and I are identical twins. Her name is Reina and she is a teacher at Mahouren. We were inseparable growing up but since she started teaching and I have left Rivenvale I haven''t seen her.¡± Siena cheeks were slightly flushed and she was shrugging her shoulders back and forth. ¡°So this whole time since I told you wanted to go to Mahouren you were playing me so you could get to be my guard.¡± I say in upset tone, seeing as though I have been used by a close friend.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°No, No I promise you I did not plan the guard part. I was just going to visit her for a bit after escorting you to Toulia but then your mother approached me about this job. With this job I will be able to be close to my 3 favorite girlfriends!¡± 3? Then Zyra is..... Seeing my shocked expression Siena confirmed my suspicions. ¡°Yes Zyra is coming too she told me she was sick of how corrupt and dangerous Zyrus has become. Also rich students from Mahouren are going to love her shop I just know it. I am sorry I didn''t tell you.....we wanted to surprise you. ¡°You don''t think being a guard is going to be too boring for you?¡± I ask seriously. ¡°Typically yes, but trouble seems to follow you around like peddlers around rich people so I doubt it will be as boring as you say.¡± ¡°Well atleast you have a good reason. Anyways people will get upset if we are absent any longer.¡± I say and turn to leave. ¡°Uhh Kara I have one important question before we go back .¡± She asked looking extremely serious. ¡°Sure what do you want to know?¡± I say waiting for her question. ¡°Do you think this guard uniform makes my butt look big? ¡± I turn and leave sighing as I put a hand in my face in frustration. Does she take anything seriously? We returned to the party and enjoyed the rest of the evening. Everyone seemed to be having a fun time except for Claire she just spent the evening looking annoyed before an early departure to her room. I wonder if this rift between us will last forever. Several people said there goodbyes as tomorrow we would be leaving for Mahouren. It got late and we finally left the party. Tomorrow was going to be the start of another journey. I was pessimistic at first but the party was a welcome distraction. As I laid down from the fun I found myself drifting off easily tonight. Black..... Black....... So Black......... Two red eyes amonst the dark so close now it must be mere feet away. No wait there are actually six red eyes, the two I saw were just one among the three sets. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness the picture of this beast became clear, it was an enormous hellhound with tree heads. Killing intent filling air along with the rich smell of death. I recognized this creature. It was not of this world, it belonged to deities of my old world, a three headed beast who guarded the gates of hell for Hades, Cerberus. If I fight this monster I will surely die but I don''t think I will be able to escape either. Wasting little time the beast took initiative and lunged at me. ¡°Ouch!¡± somehow I had literally jumped out of my bed destroying it and hit my head on the ceiling. The dream was so vivid it has to be dream vision. My physic power was minimal compared to my other powers but nonetheless useful. Why am I seeing a demi-god beast in my dreams? Knock Knock ''May I enter princess?'' Who is this? Her voice sounds familiar ¡°Enter¡± I say and in walked the cutest maid I had ever seen. Its Libby oh my gosh! I knew it was a good call to have her become my maid. I cant help but smile ear to ear thinking about how I had my own automaton maid. Tehehe ¡°Princess good morning.....¡± it looked like she was going to mention the bed but she didn''t. ¡°You wanted to know why the bed is broken right?¡± I say as I notice her looking at the destroyed bed. ¡°No need princess I overheard the other maids discussing a broken bed before and the details surrounding it. It is an event that occurs when you invite a boy to your bed to spend the night. What occurs with you and the boy causing the bed to break they didn''t share with me specifically........ So anyways who was the boy you invited?¡± Libby said as matterfactly as possibly. ¡°IT MOST DEFINITELY WASN''T THAT!¡± I yell with both cheeks tomato red. ¡°I just have been having bad dreams lately they seams so real and so vivid.¡± I say to her. ¡°Mistress Grena had dreams like that too, does that mean you are able to communicate with her again?!¡± Libby''s interest in the conversation had increased. ¡°No I am afraid I haven''t been able to communicate with her yet. She was very drained from our previous ordeal in Atlus. I am sorry Libby.¡± I say to her feeling bad I couldn''t talk to Grena for her. ¡°I know. Anyways we have to hurry princess our carriages are departing soon. Here lets get you dressed.¡± Very swiftly I was dressed by Libby the outfit that was most likely picked out by mother was a bit too frilly for my likes but I suppose I will only have to endure it for a short period. The front courtyard this morning was packed every year the country of Termain sends large escort party to guard the students and potential students of Mahouren. Atleast 200 soldiers of the army are going to escort us lead by my brother Max. Any bandits who would attack us would be utterly destroyed. ¡°That outfit looks really cute, I am glad I picked it out for you.¡± Mother sat there fawning over me. Claire tried to sneak past mother but it didn''t work. ¡°Claire I cant believe you were going to get in the carriage without saying goodbye!¡± Mother seemed decently upset at her. ¡°Bye mom, dad, and Aaron........there you happy?¡± After saying that coldly she walked up to an elegant carriage not too far away. ¡°Kara could you watch over her? I know she is not weak but I can''t help worry for her.¡± Father asked me. ¡°Of course father.¡± I was going to do it anyways. Aaron wanted to say something but couldn''t muster the words. I just took the initiative and gave him a hug. ¡°Aaron do your best while I am gone and I will do mine as well. Bye everyone love you¡± After that Libby, Siena, and Skyler all got into our carriage. The journey to Mahouren had begun. There were 7 different carriages for students that left the palace courtyard, 2 of them were for my sister and me the rest were for the other five nobles that wanted to join our escort. After making it just outside the city our group grew as there were 10 wagons large available to non nobility. These wagons were no where as comfortable as what we were using but non-the less it was a free service given by Termain. Mahouren only allows a certain number of children in each year and nobility doesn''t give you any extra sway on the entrance examination. These wagons are provided free from the country of Termain For these children getting into Mahouren is a once in a lifetime chance, for if they can become mages they will be set for life. Incidentally if they become mages it is a great benefit to Termain too either militarily or economically. Families would invest there who fortune to pay for tuition if they happen to be accepted. The cold reality was only a fraction of these children will actually be accepted. I hope I can get Skyler in tip top shape for the test otherwise she may not even make the cut. That why I have to do my very best as sensei to her. its too bad it will be impossible to get Claire to help her, since she clearly realizes that Skyler and I have some sort of connection, and she still hates my guts. The journey started off very boring. I basically was cramped into a carriage with Libby, Siena, and Skyler. I was trying to teach Skyler the basics of magic history but my ''personal guard'' found it appropriate to gossip up a storm with Libby who was now being corrupted be her. Ride, teach, camp, ride, teach camp. Why cant I just fly there, this is so irritating! Not even a monster came close enough to attempt an attack on our group. After about a week however something interesting finally occurred. As we entered the country of Jabel and made camp. Our escort was encountered by a couple of bounty hunters or so that''s what they claimed. After looking at their statuses I realized they were no ordinary bounty hunters in fact it was a brother Elric and his twin sister Suzanne. Elric was a level 70 Scout and his sister Suzanne was a level 70 hunter. They both were from Rendil the country that Darius was king of, a cold and desolate county to the northwest. ¡°Bounty hunters or Rendilian operatives? I What business do you have with us?¡± Max was impressive as ever he quickly put together that they were from Rendil probably from the tattoo of a fist on Elric''s chest a symbol on the Rendilian flag. They are concealing there status with enchantments. ¡°Yea former Rendilian military now just working as a simple bounty hunter. Aye we have been tracking a beastkin who murdered a diplomat from Rendil. We had tracked her all the way to Lorrington where her trail disapearred. Then we found out about your guys escort to Toulia we figured she snuck into your guys group.¡± Elric replied scanning our camp from a safe distance. ¡°Well assure you we don''t harbor assassin''s everyone here hails from Termain.¡± Gulp.....We are harboring me so that last line was definitely not true but Max doesn''t know that so it cant be helped. ¡°Oh I have no doubt about that would you entertain us by letting us search the camp?¡± After clicking his tongue Max realized that it wouldn''t be wise to straight up deny them as relations with Rendil were already quite fickle to begin with. ¡°Fine but I need to see your guys arrest warrant and credentials first. Anything you guys damage while searching will be paid for right here and now as well.¡± Max definitely was annoyed by this but this was a legitimate thing. ¡°Of course Prince Max that is fair.¡± Elric replied. Weird that his sister didn''t say one word the whole time. I guess her brother was the one who was good with words. Slowly but steadily the two began to search the camp. As they went along every possible spot that someone could be hiding in was searched. Finally they made themselves to our carriage. As with the previous carriages and wagons we all emptied out. ¡°I am terrible sorry noble girl this will just take a minute.¡± Elric said to me unapoligitically and at same time checking me out. ¡°Not noble lady. Its Princess Kara we let you into our camp as a sign of good faith the least you can do is to show your proper respect!¡± Skyler spoke up angrily. Her stepping up for me there made me blush but it was stupid of her do that as these two had a very high chance of still being Darius''s operatives. ¡°Please let me apologize myself Princess Kara. So I suppose the rumors are true you really are alive. And your beauty certainly lives up to its reputation, now if you''ll excuse me....¡± Elric played it off really cool but now his intrigue on me went up substantially. Dammit Skyler-chan! Oh well since the cats out of the bag I guess I play around a little bit here. ¡°Oh its no problem sir. Catching criminals is an important thing after all if that is truly your intention.¡± I say to him catching him off guard a little bit. ¡°I don''t think I follow you princess Kara I assure you that finding our target is our goal.¡± He replied now seemingly somewhat irritated. ¡°Oh I have no doubt about that. I just have one question how much is the bounty?¡± I say curious because it might confirm my suspicions and also I wanted to compare it to my own bounty which is now up to 1500 gold dead or alive. ¡°250 gold alive or 50 gold dead.¡± He said showing my the paperwork quickly and then taking it back after I confirmed the bounty. ¡°Hmm how interesting the bounty is 5 fold more if you get her alive.¡± I state the obvious. ¡°Yes I imagine that they want to interrogate her to figure out whom she was conspired with.¡± He said again acting all cool. ¡°If you want her alive then why does your hunter friend over there have her arrows poisoned lethally. Death adder poison right? I am familiar with it as I made an antidote for it once as an alchemy project, there is no mistaking its greenish color and odor.¡± Well I did kind of lied about making an antidote for it but I truly could recognize it even without my gift as it is one the favorites used in the assassin''s guild. Elric held his composure even after this. ¡°Very perceptive of you Princess Kara there is more to you then just your beauty. Yes it is unfortunate but we have had to fight several bandits in the area. My companion and I have had to defend ourselves from them lethally.¡± I really want to scream bull shit but I don''t I just smile. ¡°Whatever hurry up and finish your search I am sure you and your sister are going to busy with finding your cold trail again after you are finished bothering us.¡± I go and leave to get some food where we are making it in the camp my companions go to follow me but I tell them to watch the carriage to make sure they don''t break anything or steal anything. ¡°I don''t think I mentioned that Suzanne is my sister.¡± Elric said to himself as I left shocked a bit still. I wonder why they are going through such extremes to find this person. Tracking her through 3 countries with a couple of skilled soldiers. Oh well its not like I can do anything about it. As I approach the campfire people literally go silent looking at me. I guess this is the first time I came here myself I forgot that I normal just have Libby get me my food and bring it back but even still most of these people should have never seen me before. There should no way they could tell who I was. It didn''t help that most of the people here were kids my own age. ¡°Who is that girl? I think I have seen an angel.¡± ¡°I have never seen her before she must be some noble!¡± ¡°I wonder if the rumors are true is it the Songstress Princess?¡± Calmly I walked up grabbed a some meat from the fire. I peek back to my carriage that is getting rifled through. I have nothing to fret about all my important stuff is kept in my spacial ring. Then I felt a presence looking at me almost like a sixth sense. It was coming from a barrel in the food wagon. I cast an illusion that I am heading back to my carriage while in actuality I am going towards this presence. Shadowstepping gracefully behind the particular barrel that I felt the presence from. Inside the barrel I can hear very slight breathing who ever it was is very skilled at hiding there presence, in fact I only noticed them barely just now. I lean over the barrel and look into a small hole in it within I can see a single green slanted eye before it quickly disappeared and I could hear the breathing inside suddenly stop. A cat''s eye...... this must be the beastkin they were looking for I guess they were hitching a ride with us after all. Well fortunately for this beastkin I really despise Rendil. ¡°Shhh¡± I put my finger to my mouth the universal signal to stay quiet. Ugh This is probably going to get me in trouble. I grab the barrel that is quite big with ease and shadowstep away to the shade of a nearby tree. I looked back at my carriage. The two Rendil scouts had already finished and were moving on. The stowaway in the barrel was now trying wiggle the barrel to tip it over but I simply held the barrel still. Looking again to make sure no one was looking I shadowstepped even further from the camp. Briefly looking around to make sure no one could see us I pulled off the lid of the barrel. Immediately as I did a shortsword stabbed up at me. ¡°Huh¡± I swiftly dodged it but if I didn''t have such quick reflexes then perhaps it would have landed. Leaping out of the barrel was a skinny but lanky catgirl. Other then her green eyes her fur was mainly white with black markings. Her name was Melody Lionheart age 12, and she was a level 25 fighter specializing in shortswords. She instantly started to run deeper into the forest. She was fast but no match for my speed especially since I changed out of that frilly get-up I was in when we departed, in fact it was the first thing I did. I quickly ran out in front of her. ¡°Out of the way or I will hurt you!¡± She said to me while looking around to see if anyone else was around. ¡°Tsk, tsk taking your eyes off an opponent.¡± I said clicking my tongue as I had walked right up to her. Now just feet away. ¡°I warned you!¡± She sliced down at me. She probably assumed that since I was unarmed currently I would have to dodge her swing giving her a path to run ahead but I didn''t dodge I instead went with option B. I caught her sword as she swung it at me using just two fingers. When I did this her eyes went wide with shock, this had to have been most unexpected to have your attack so easily countered. Still gripping her sword I then ripped it from her hand, then using her forward momentum from my pull to throw her down on the ground using Judo. Landing hard on the ground she rolled to her stomach and layed there for a few seconds having the wind knocked out of her thoroughly. Then she looked back at me as I was looming over her. She clearly understood now that I was well beyond her current strength. Her face wore a disgusted look on it. ¡°You are obviously super strong so just who are you?! And what do you want from me?¡± Still shocked but realizing that her best attack was easily thwarted she decided running was futile. ¡°Ah sorry I am Kara. I am an aspiring student to attend Mahouren School of Magic.¡± I say to her bowing gracefully as I do my introduction. ¡°Mahouren? You want to be a mage? Ok who are you really? I doubt your human even though you look human.¡± She said still with her focus entirely upon me. ¡°I am indeed human well mostly at least (I had some draconic blood in me now but I wasn''t going tell her that). Believe me or not I don''t care. In truth I am wondering why a couple of highly skilled trackers are chasing you from Rendil. They have a warrant for you charging you with murdering a diplomat. I don''t think they mean to take you alive.¡± She sort of gritted her teeth when I said that. ¡°Its complicated look. I don''t have time to play around, those two are searching your camp now so I have an opportunity to gain some ground on them now.¡± She started to get up but I was still in her way. ¡°Please understand!¡± She begged. ¡°Look you seem to be in trouble. If I let you go there is a decent chance you get tracked down by those two....... Why don''t you stay in my carriage until we get to Toulia.¡± I offered. ¡°I cant get other people involved. If they got hurt or killed because of me.....¡± Ugh this is so stereotypical. I am getting annoyed. I grab her tail and start petting it. At first she tried to get away from me but the pleasure of having her tail petted must have been too much for her to resist. ¡°St...st ..stop. My tail is very sensitive! This is indecent! ¡± She protested with a face that was blushing, I could tell this felt good to her. ¡°But I cant help it. You are so cute and like petting cute things. Also the face you are making is very cute as well¡± I couldn''t help but smile deviantly. ¡°Purrrr....lease stop it is very demeaning for a beastkin to be purrrr..etted like this.¡± She pleaded desperately. ¡°Only if stay in my carriage to Toulia. Deal?¡± I ask. She started shaking her head no so I started petting her even quicker. Within a few seconds I could tell her willpower gave in. ¡°Fine!¡± She shamefully agreed. ¡°I never gave you my name.¡± She said now looking back at me. ¡°Oh I already know it from reading your status. You are Melody Lionheart your father is Simba Lionheart also known as the beastking. Like I said earlier I am Kara, Kara Rosewood its nice to meet you.¡± Chapter 33 Arrival in Toulia Enter Master Zeke Chapter 33 Arrival in Toulia enter master Zeke After waiting for an opportunity to return to my carriage unseen I snuck Melody past the two people hunting her down. Cautiously each of us with hoods on as we approached my carriage. Everyone was already inside only a casual hello as a greeting, jeez Siena what if I had gotten kidnapped or something what kind of guard are you? Actually I think I will appreciate this type of freedom, plus should something come up while in public I wont have to show my true strength as Siena is more capable of dealing with small fries. ¡°For the time being we are going to have a fifth passenger in this carriage. This is Melody Lionheart daughter to the current beastking. This is Siena, Skyler, and Libby they are my companions.¡± I introduce her to the girls. ¡°Oh my gosh! So cute!¡± Skyler seemed super excited. ¡°Kara can we keep her? Can I pet her?¡± Siena''s eye''s were wide with excitement as well. ¡°I am a proud warrior not a pet!¡± Melody said with red cheeks from earlier. ¡°So you are a princess too like Kara and me¡± Skyler asked because her father was the beastking. ¡°I am no princess. Furnor is run by a senor council the head being the beastking. Being the daughter of the beastking gives me no official status as the person who is the beastking can change quickly. Only the strongest of our kind gains the title beastking........ but you two are both really princesses? It is hard to believe. Why would you be going to Toulia?¡± She said ¡°Like I said before we are going to attend Mahouren School of Magic. By the way could you please keep the fact that Skyler is a princess a secret?¡± I say giving Skyler the stink-eye. Her mouth has gotten me in trouble more then a few times now. She has no concept of tact. ¡°You are giving me asylum, keeping your secrets is the least I can do. Still it is hard to believe especially for you. Don''t you have to be under 11 to enter Mahouren?¡± She asked probably still curious about me. ¡°There are a very few exceptions to the age rules mostly in regards to certain races but I am not among them. I just turned 9 a little bit ago.¡± I replied to her. The headmaster can make exceptions for those whom possess exceptional talents also. ¡°9? No way you are almost as tall as me and beastkin develop more quickly then other races. Also you are already more developed in certain areas.....¡± Certain areas I don''t seem to follow. I don''t think my arms are longer or anything like that. After seeing my double check my different my arms legs, fingers and every other ligament. Siena and Skyler started bursting out in laughter. ¡°What is so funny you two. I am trying to figure out what she is talking about!¡± Most unexpectedly I fell a sharp jolt of pleasure go across my upper chest. When I look down I can see a pair of hands groping me! This is the stereotypical female boob grab from animes, I was focusing so much on the other parts of my body I let my guard down! Damn it! ¡°She is talking about these. Hmmm so young Kara but already a B cup I would guess, now that must some kind of record for a 9 year old. Wow I am kind of jealous maybe if I massage yours mine will get bigger as well.¡± Skyler you pervert! I easily slip her hold and turn around and look at her with full killing intent. ¡°Pervert I will kill you!¡± I quickly pull out my daggers and take a fighting stance. The force of the killing intent was enough to cause Melody to start to shake, Skyler somehow was unfazed. After finally being coaxed calm by Siena I put away my weapons and sat down again. ¡°So Melody what is in Toulia that has you traveling so far from home.¡± I ask her even though she hasn''t been especially forthcoming I figure I could ask her this much. ¡°Well as you know I am wanted for murder but the truth is I was setup. My father has an old acquaintance in Toulia. If I had tried to return to Furnor I am sure I would have been executed by my own people.¡± She explained to us the reason her destination and ours were the same. ¡°You say you were set up I suppose you know something or possess something that could potential make you dangerous to Rendil or Furnor?¡± I ask her trying to figure out what we are up against here. ¡°..... I suppose that should be obvious huh. Well I guess since you did take responsibility for me I should be honest with you. They want me dead the because I witnessed our diplomat to Rendil, Creatus Ironfur being killed by a member of our own council. His name is Khan Scarface. Khan has always sought the title of beastking, but his rival my father has always been stronger then him. It dates back to when they were both cubs ¡± She started telling her story. ¡°Our two countries were in the middle of peace talks but that was just a charade. Rendil would never end slavery of the beastkin but to somewhat appease the anti-slavery countries they put on these meetings. King Darius didn''t even show up, the event was a complete farce. Anyways out of these pointless meetings is where my story begins.¡± Melody continued to explain. ¡°My father and I were in Tyra the capital of Rendil. The meetings between our two countries had just concluded and we were to depart in the morning. We were staying in a large mansion that foreign leaders are allowed to stay out on visits. Unfortunately a message arrived early in the day and my Father had to leave me prematurely along with his guards so for this night I was by myself in this mansion.¡± ¡° At a late hour a knock at the front door interrupted the silence and I went to answer it and found it was Creatus. He was panicking and wanted to talk to my father he seemed deeply sorrowful when I informed him he had returned to Furnor. He asked me to hold on to some scrolls for him and departed right after.¡± ¡°Since he didn''t mention what was troubling him foolishly I pursued him. My father and Creatus had been friends for many cycles so I felt obligated to follow him. After following him for a short duration he ran into a group of beastkin lead by councilman Khan. Khan wanted to know where the documents were and who he has talked to. One of Khans men noticed me and captured me. Creatus however somehow killed the henchman who had apprehended and told me to run away. He held off Khan and his men so I could escape. It is my fault things ended up like this. ¡°I bull rushed through the guards at the gate nearby to escape, but they were able to identify me. Unfortunately since Creatus''s body was found in the same area around the same time I became the prime suspect in the diplomats murder. These documents he gave me are sealed and possibly encrypted but I am sure that they are important!¡± ¡°So if you haven''t read this paperwork how do you know it is authentic? Also why didn''t you just go back to Furnor¡± I asked seriously. ¡°Well I suppose I can''t really tell if it is authentic or not until I find a person able enough to unravel the seal and decode the message. However I will answer your second question returning to Furnor would have been almost impossible both two countries already at war added to the fact that my drawing and description posted up everywhere as a wanted criminal would have been ill advised. I do have one ally though in Toulia and he is who I am traveling to meet with.¡± She finished up her story. ¡°Do you mind if I look at the scroll?¡± I ask earnestly. ¡°Sure but with such a strong seal I doubt you will be able to get anything from it.¡± Melody replied as she handed it over to me. ¡°Your right this surely is a strong seal I think I will need to use my staff and a full incantation for this.¡± I say as I pull out the Sidhe Staff from my spacial ring and place the scroll on the table in the middle of the carriage. ¡°Kara what are you doing this is pointless even for you. Only an advanced mage, no you would need a master mage to break this perhaps Princess Claire would be able to even then I don''t know. Void magic is the most difficult to use. I don''t know how good her void magic skills are¡± Siena boldly stated. She realized this was a military grade seal meaning it was at least a level 5 seal. ¡°Oh is that so too much for me? Don''t make me laugh this is a shitty seal that a bum could make is going to stop me?¡± I proclaim cocky as hell, I really hope I can do this because if I can''t then the others wont let me live it down the rest of the trip. Even though I am a princess I know my companions will have no qualms rubbing it in for me. ¡°That which has been locked away and restrained. Be free of this arcane hold, unshackle from its influence. Break from its tethers holding you. Greater magic break!¡± Greater magic break was level 4 spell I was only fifty percent sure I would even be able to do it. Level four spells are the extent of my current power but I am not consistent enough to reliably use level 4 magic of all types yet. The advantage I have however is if I do successfully cast a level 4 spell with an incantation and use the powerful Sidhe Staff its power increase many fold so that it would be equivalent to that of at least a level 5 or even level 6 spell. After casting the spell I notice that I was indeed successful. The seal holding the scroll close crumbled before us. Although I didn''t think this was that big of an accomplishment everyone around me were flabbergasted. In this moment it seemed as though jaws were about to hit the floor. Was this feat really that incredible that was only a level 5 seal. Oh I forgot void magic was supposedly the most difficult to use. ¡°Kara don''t tell me that is the first time you have attempted that spell Greater Magic Break!¡± Siena started to say with twitching eyebrows. I guess using such a powerful void magic spell if it backfired would have been really bad. ¡°Gah I guess you got me Siena, that might have been slightly foolish of me but it all worked out right?¡± I put on the biggest smile and then I receive my well deserved fist to the top of the head. ¡°Fiiiiirrssstt time trying a level 4 void spell? I am not a mage but I know enough to figure out that feat is almost god-like. Princess Kara what are you?¡± Melody is now breaking out in a cold sweat. ¡°Damn it I really didn''t want to reveal this but.... I am actually the Demon King.¡± I sarcastically proclaim. It was supposed to be a joke but Melody fully believed me and passed out from the shock of it. Yep another fist in the head from Siena-chan well deserved I suppose Our carriage quieted down for a bit after this Siena and Skyler both claimed they could decode the message easily but after realizing it wasn''t something easy like using the first letter of each paragraph both gave up and went to sleep. The funny thing is that with my Gift I was easily able to decode it. Melody was still asleep from believing my joke from earlier and now Libby was looking over the letter too now. ¡°I can''t figure this out I guess you need a cipher to figure it out.¡± Libby finally realized that undertaking the task of decoding the letter would take in insurmountable amount of time. ¡°Nah I already figured it out right away with one look. Some very disturbing things the Rendil is creating a underground tunnel into Surmil the Beastkin capital. The peace talks and small skirmishes are just distractions. Also spies have infiltrated Termain it seems they are scouting there next enemy my country.¡± ¡°So you already figured it out with one look? You surely are my Mistresses Champion. So what is your next move?¡± Libby asked not really surprised at what I did. ¡°Oh nothing I think I will just enjoy a walk by myself in the moonlight. If you will excuse me.¡± I quickly equipped my things and cast a strong illusion spell on myself. I dash out in the moonlight ahead. Letting a almost minuscule amount of mana to escape as I pranced into woods all by myself. -----------------------------------------------Elric PoV------------------------------------------------- Damn those Termain bastards I know this stray cat wandering into your camp. Her stench is all over the camp. Now we have to stay up and keep watch in case our furry friend decides to flee during the night. ¡°Hey Brother you really think that cat person piece of shit is in this camp? We looked for real good didn''t we? Just thinking about dealing with those weak Termain nobility made me sick I really wished we could have just killed them.¡± Suzanne said disgustingly ¡°Kill them you make it sound as it would be simple. Political issues aside the leader of that escort was none other then Maximilian Rosewood the Lightning Blade Prince in the flesh. Add in the other Royal guards there would have no way we could have pulled something like that off with just the two of us. ¡± This why I make the decisions. ¡°Hey brother what was your take on that princess? Behind beauty and grace was an almost ominous feel to her. She was so easily able to identify the type of poison I was using, then used information she gained by talking to us to figure out our true intentions. Do you think we should take care of her?¡± It is true that I found that girl to be unnerving but so what if she could figure out our true purpose that was all circumstantial. As I was pondering this my attention was drawn to the camp we were staking out. I saw a figure dash into the woods from the camp the figure was hooded but that white tail was unmistakable. ¡°Finally this hell of this mission can come to an end. Imma make it painful for her for putting me through this.¡± My sister had already went ahead of me. She should be cautious, it doesn''t make since for our target to leave the camp all of a sudden. Nonetheless I can only hope this is really her, I do hate these countries we have traveled through to get here. Following my sister''s trail I quickly caught up to her. She had stopped running because our prey had tripped and likely twisted her ankle. Such a short chase I am actually somewhat disappointed that this long hunt ended this way. Revealed in the moonlight was none other then Melody Lionheart.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°That was pretty stupid of you. You would have been better off staying in that camp longer. Did you think we had moved on from after only searching the camp once? Your scent was all over that camp around their food wagons we knew you were there for sure¡± Foolish girl your life comes to an end now because of that. ¡°Oh please don''t kill me! I promise I won''t tell anybody else how your puppet Khan killed that diplomat or about the scroll Creatus gave contained your guys plan to tunnel into Surmil and your spies going to Termain!¡± This just got troublesome it seems she had someone break the seal on the scroll. What ever the mission was to kill her, recovering the documents and silencing witnesses was secondary. ¡°Tell you what you tell me everyone you have talked to as well as where you put that scroll and I will make it quick for you.¡± She seemed absolutely terrified, it is to be expected though. ¡°Really? You will make it quick what a gentleman you are. I thought you were going to drag me back to Khan and let him have his way with me.¡± She is really calm for someone who is about to die. ¡°Why would we do that we work for Rendil not some worthless beast kin. I don''t care anymore screw you Elric I am going to make this bitch suffer whether she talks or not.¡± My sister casually walks up to the catgirl still on the ground. She pulls out her fillet knife perhaps she is going to skin her alive. I have seen her perform that technique before on beastkin while they were still alive. She would then wear the skin as a scarf afterword. She is definitely twisted but she is my sister after all. ¡°I am going to enjoy hearing you scream. We are too far away from that camp site for anyone to be able to hear you.¡± She stabbed at cat girl but right when her blade came close to her something unexpected happened. Instead of the catgirl spewing blood it was Suzanne who was bleeding in fact that is not all her entire hand had somehow been cleaved off but how?! ¡°Ahhhhh what the hell! My hand, my hand, my hand!¡± She was now on the ground completely overtaken by the pain. I still don''t understand what''s happening, one second the catgirl had all but given up now she had enough power to do this. What in the world is going on?! ¡°So you guys still haven''t seen through my illusion even after this much time. Tsk Tsk I must say you are quite........disappointing.¡± Disappointing? Illusion In the next moment our enemy''s illusion started to disappear. I didn''t waste anytime to see who it was I quickly pulled out my short sword and dashed over near her and struck at her with my blade. I may be just a scout but my skill with a short blade are the real deal. She easily dodged my slash however and followed up with knee to my stomach, what speed! I cant help but crumple backward and reassess the situation. Standing before me in the moonlight was the little girl who so easily saw through our motives earlier. ¡°Princess Kara but how?¡± I don''t understand the young princess was doing all this? Impossible! ¡°Yes that is right and this isn''t an illusion I am indeed princess Kara. I appreciate that you two confirmed that you are working under the Rendil government and that information inside the scroll seems to be accurate. I will now kill you both.¡± She said all this as if it were nothing to kill us. Ha she may have gotten lucky against us earlier but that wont help her at all now! I pull out my second short sword and begin attacking her again. She is using a weird looking sword to fight me. It kind of thin but long and curved, the material its made of has to adamantium. I am using my technique to fight her, but she is simply too fast to land any blows. She either parrys them or dodges them. This girl is incredible how is she able to maintain this pace with me? As I lose focus for a second she with no hesitation swings down vertically. I block with both shortsword as we enter a swordlock. ¡°Elric you are a lot stronger then I gave you credit for at the beginning I suppose I can''t take you lightly.¡± Directly behind her Suzanne was charging at her with a dagger I was sure was poisoned. It seems she hasn''t noticed. I just have to keep her in this swordlock until then. Right when Suzanne''s knife was about to plunge into her back Kara disappeared without a trace. That move was space-time magic or maybe a shadowstep? The pressure of my two swords that were holding Kara''s blade in a swordlock now slashed forward and at the same time Suzanne attack couldn''t be stopped at this point. In sheer horror I watched as my two blades cut deep into Suzanne''s neck and throat and simultaneously her dagger sank deep into my gut. The results of the two attacks were both mortal wounds for us both. Suzanne tried to say something but all I heard was gurgling noises as she collapsed. After having already lost a lot of blood earlier from losing a hand it was an expected for her to collapse like that from the loss of blood. Meanwhile I start to feel numb throughout my whole body radiating out from the wound. Death adder poison paralyzes its victims muscles including their lungs. Soon my lungs will stop working and I will pass out from hypoxia and die. I can hear the laughter of a small girl but I can''t move my head anymore to look at her. She then appears in my sight again. Looming over me with a huge smile. Does seeing me in this state give you that much pleasure? Those blue eyes of her are so breathtaking so cold and disconnected, like a ocean in comparison to a drop of water. As weird as it is to admit seeing a smile on that beautiful face of hers warms my cold heart a little. What has happened to you to make you this twisted, and what events in your life has caused you to become this strong this early in your life. Princess Kara you must be the devil in the body of a young girl. King Darius be very careful of this one she is extremely dangerous even for you.......... ---------------------------------------Kara PoV next day----------------------------------- After getting up early I noticed that everyone but Libby was still asleep. I had some business to take care of this morning. Since I have agreed to help Melody and since I have gained valuable intel in doing so I must talk with brother Max and let him know about the situation. It is surprising how many people are so active this early in the morning the sun has yet to even rise yet, I suppose it is to be expected as once the sun rises of the horizon we will depart. We still have a half day of travel until we reach Toulia. I arrive to my brother''s tent as expected he is up and is training, sparring with several of the royal guards taking 3 on at a time. Impressive I see my brothers skills are impressive as ever. After knocking all 3 down with powerful strike he sheathed his sword and looked my way. ¡°Kara you are up and about early what brings you?¡± Max looks at me with a friendly smile. I have sort of kept somewhat of a distance these days traveling. Claire and I have joined him for a few dinners but most of the time we have all been separated. ¡°Oh I just need to speak with you in private if that''s no biggie.¡± I ask politely. ¡°Of course come let us enjoy some tea. We still have a little bit until the sun rises.¡± He opened his tent up and led to me a small table inside. It appears he was already preparing tea before I came. ¡°So what can I do for you sister?¡± Max ask me earnestly. ¡°Well..... I want you to have this¡± I gave Max the scroll that I Melody had acquired and I had decoded along with the cipher I had uncovered and a decoded version of the letter. ¡°This is........¡± After looking over everything Max cheerful attitude changed. ¡°Where did you get this Kara?¡± Well it seems that he has recognized its genuineness. ¡°Oh I found that catgirl those two so called mercenaries were tracking this letter was on her. I have her in my carriage right now.¡± Max thought for a second. ¡°Well such an action would normally be foolish but since we did gain very valuable intel from it and our enemy is none the smarter, I suppose its alright. What are you intentions with the catgirl?¡± Max wanted to chew me out but I am probably to adorable for him to do it. ¡°Since her country and Rendil are still at war she is going to stay with a family friend for a while. I will escort her there you perhaps would like to come too?¡± I ask Max. ¡°Me too? Do you anticipate trouble?¡± My brother now seems concerned. ¡°Not trouble you see the place she is going to is Zeke''s. I am sure you are familiar with sir Zeke so I figured you would want to say hello with us killing two birds with one stone¡± I knew that Max had trained with Zeke for 3 years when he was younger, in fact I am sure he was going to drop by at some point anyways even without this reason. ¡°Kara I don''t think you should go within a mile of sir Zeke. You are the kind girl that perverted old man fawns over!¡± Max said with disgust and with a clenched fist. A old perverted master martial artist, why do all master''s have to be this way? Even my own grandpa as Taiko was like that. ¡°I am sure he is not stupid enough to try and touch me. I don''t care about a perverted glare he can look all wants. Anyways she is my guest it would be insulting to the Rosewood name if I wasn''t the one to escort her to her destination.¡± I reply. ¡°Fine but you have been warned. That man is truly despicable but there is none in the entire land who is a better fighter.¡± Max didn''t like the situation but my arguments were well founded. After getting back to the carriage I apologized to Melody for taking her letter and told her we would escort her to Zeke''s today after we arrived in Toulia. She didn''t remember telling me that Zeke was her families friend, so I told her it was a lucky guess. I knew that the Beastking Simba once studied under Zeke just like my brother so it was a fairly educated guess. She was hoping there would be a way to warn the beastkin about the underground attack. Thankfully I knew my sister had a contact she could communicate with who lived in Surmil so this request would be plausible to accommodate. Yes it is creepy how I keep tabs on all my siblings but that is just how it is. The half of day went very quickly. While in transport I went ahead and put on my outfit that Jennifer-sama made for me. I had my Sidhe staff with me too but the top of it was covered with a cloth hiding the blue crystal, finally for self defense I had my two brand new daggers Max made for me in my garters for easy access. I wore a cloak over my outfit so I wouldn''t attract too much attention. Finally after the finally leg we had arrived in Toulia. The entrance exams would start tomorrow so we would have tonight to rest. The poorer folk likely would camp outside the city and we would leave guards to protect them. Us nobility would either stay with relatives or at a fancy hotel. Since my sister was married to the first prince of Mabel we would of course be her guest for the night. Claire already being a student would just go straight to her dorm even though Max really pushed her to come to tonight''s dinner with Mandy. She claimed that she had student council business with the incoming freshman class, which was most likely true. However I bet that if she really wanted to she could have squeezed us into her schedule. The streets of Toulia were buzzing like I have never seen. Incredible last time I came to this city I marveled at the sheer amount and diversity of people here but now with the entrance exams starting tomorrow that amount of people have increased dramatically. Along with increased people the vendors seemed to have increased as well. Sweet smells and people enjoying themselves. It is almost like this is a festival here. The six of us headed to the destination. Zeke''s dojo was a well known school teaching martial arts both armed and unarmed. It is to be expected that there were several schools like this in Toulia. The Coliseum here wasn''t just for mage battles. I bet the entrance exams are prime opportunities for dojo''s since many talented youngsters don''t quite make the cut at Mahouren they can train them in martial arts since at this age they can still learn quick enough. Of course other then Mahouren there is other magic schools around with not as high standards but even then they are not easy to get into either. If you fail horribly at the entrance exams becoming a mage is almost impossible. After an hours walk we reached a large gated structure. The estate here was huge the walls around this place could almost be mistaken for a garrison. Max walked up to the gate and said something that I couldn''t hear to the sentry behind it. Immediately the gate began to open for us. The scenery inside became very nostalgic. This dojo was constructed in a similar manner in which my grandfather''s dojo was when I was Taiko. Peg dummys, balance beams, sparing rings, basically anything you could want in a dojo. That wasn''t the only thing the grounds had tons of students diligently training. It seems that his dojo is very popular around here. An extremely beautiful girl in a stark red kimono approached us. ¡°Prince Maximilian how nice of you to stop by.¡± Her face was completely blushed did she know my brother by chance. ¡°Please Mikota there is no need for formalities between friends like us. Max is fine anyways we have business with your father.¡± Max said in a very friendly manner. Mikota stepped close to Max and whispered him a line I could only barely hear. ¡°Bringing 5 beautiful girls around my father is like pouring oil on a fire are sure it is ok?¡± ¡°It will be fine.... I think.¡± He didn''t seem extremely confident in his statement. ¡°Very well follow me he is currently mediating in the main building.¡± She then started escorting us to a large building towards the back of the property. After pushing two wooden doors open the inside chamber was revealed. There were many mats laying around and many statues too, the smell in the air was that of incense burning. A rough looking man with silver hair was sitting with his legs crossed praying. ¡°Father forgive me for interrupting your meditation but you have guests.¡± Mikota said very graciously Zeke stood up and stretched a bit. After turning around his expression changed to that of infatuation. His eyes seemed to be completely focused on me. Ugh I take back what I said earlier perverted gazes are not acceptable. Not at all! Old man I will kill you right now! I let a little bit of killing intent slip on accident towards him. His gaze of infatuation instantly disappeared and now he wore a shocked expression even sweating a bit. His gaze was still refocused on me however instead of a perverted gaze this one was more of an appraising one. ¡°Ugh father I was sure that when you saw these 5 girls you would try something perverted I must thank you for holding back your lewd and beastly demeanor.¡± Mikota seemed genuinely surprised. ¡°Five? My goodness the blonde was so captivating I could only see her Young lady who are you if you don''t mind me asking.¡± Zeke expression changed once again now a serious expression. ¡°I am Kara Rosewood third princess of Termain. You know its very creepy to check out a nine year old like that. I don''t care who you are¡± I say this old man is definitely creepy. ¡°A 9 year old human princess? There is no way! My battle intuition rates you as the most dangerous person in front of me. That''s really saying something because right now you are among the Lightning blade prince and the Crescent moon goddess. I am sorry but there is no way you are who you say you are.¡± Zeke was still focusing on me. Shit I forgot about this ability, Lux possessed it back in our raid on Atlus. After inspecting Zeke I found out that he is indeed a monster level 127 and he possesses battle intuition level 9. He is actually stronger then Jennifer-sama by a little bit. This is bad my brother is looking at me shocked Zeke''s battle intuition is the real deal so it must be weird for him. I just came back around a month ago from being gone for 4 years. Not once did he question if it was actually me like Claire did. ¡°You are Kara right?¡± Doubts are circling in his mind I quickly grab his hand and share with him some of my basic status including name, age and my title as the songstress princess. ¡°This is without a doubt my real sister. She just showed me part of her status, and there is no way to manipulate this. Your skill must be wrong about her¡± My brother gritted his teeth and turned back to Zeke. ¡°She showed you part of her status? Well I guess she must really be your sister since falsifying a status is impossible but it is mysterious that she wouldn''t share the whole status wouldn''t you say?¡± Zeke was quick to point out that out. ¡°I am sorry but my father has prohibited me from revealing certain things even to family. I conceal these thing out of respect for him. I apologize for any inconvenience.¡± I bow down to him I am sorry about this whole ordeal ¡°No need to apologize but is it true are you really stronger then me? I mean your only 9 and its not like I have been slacking in my training all these years¡± Max is still in disbelief. ¡°Stronger? That is not necessarily true he simply said I was more dangerous to him in particular. I could easily be a lot less dangerous to a different opponent. As I understand battle intuition only gauges ones threat to you in particular. Beautiful girls are obviously a pervert''s major weaknesses and master Zeke is no exception¡± I explain to him the reason the old man came to that conclusion. ¡°What you say is true princess Kara battle intuition does only gauge one''s threat to a single individual so a person who is a bad match for you in battle will appear more threatening. Yet no ordinary girl would be able to make up the difference between her and her level 72 brother by simply being the type of girl this old man gets easily distracted by.¡± Zeke seemed to ease up a bit now ¡°Well if it wouldn''t trouble you can we move on to our business?¡± Max was now clearly agitated had changed the awkward subject. ¡°Yes sorry lets enjoy some tea over it.¡± He then led us out to a dinning room which was in a nearby building. We all sat down at a large table, Mikota disappeared and then reappeared with a tea kettle. Very gracefully she all served us a cup of tea. ¡°Sir Zeke I was wondering if you would take another student and protect her from outsiders.¡± I say to him. ¡°Yes princess Kara I will take you as my student without a doubt you are the most promising student I have ever seen by a margin wider then the sea itself. I will help you train, learn, bathe, and dress. I am humbled that you would come to me.¡± Zeke smile went from chin to chin. Looks like he misunderstood me. ¡°No not me I was talking about Melody here. You trained her father Simba. Also if I hear tried to help her bathe or dress I will kill you¡± I clarified my request. ¡°Yes, yes I do owe Simba a favor or two consider it done....... however I must have you too Kara! You without a doubt belong here!¡± His smile was still the same size as earlier. For some reason I think he is having some perverted thought about training me in his head. ¡°While I must agree you could help me in martial arts, I must first master the arcane arts at Mahouren perhaps after I graduate from there I may come seek your guidance.¡± In terms of pure combat training this guy is the real deal but attending Mahouren is age restricted. It could not wait. ¡°Pffft become a mage don''t waste your time. I don''t feel a single drop of mana leak from you.........wait that doesn''t make sense. Even if you had very little mana a little would leak out have you really mastered mana concealment?¡± Mana Concealment isn''t a classified as a skill in the status but it defiantly is a skill you can learn. Mistress Jennifer made sure I mastered this as it is necessary in our line work. ¡°Yes I learned how to mana conceal because otherwise people without battle intuition might be able to gauge my abilities.¡± Truth be told if I let my mana leak go weak people can get sick from being to close to me. ¡°So you are finally realizing how strong you little sister is. You must be proud.¡± Skyler who had been quiet up to this point spoke up. ¡°Since father asks you not to tell us I will respect that but I can''t help but wonder what you been through these past 4 years. Surely you have killed your eyes tell me that much but you still have compassion in those eyes too. Those four years changed you but you held on to a part of your old self too¡± I could also tell Max has killed too. It shouldn''t be too surprising after all. Zeke broke the awkward interaction between Max and myself. ¡°Well Kara when you go and fail your entrance exam you come back here for training ok?¡± Zeke thought I would actually fail the entrance exam that is too funny. ¡°Sure but me failing won''t happen. Perhaps you will end up getting Skyler here I am not sure is going to pass the exam. She is a pervert just like you. Surely such a cute girl would be welcomed in your school here?¡± Skyler became really upset when I said this and even made a fist like and swung at me which I easily dodged while still drinking my tea at the same time. ¡°Of course I always welcome cute girls here. In fact all 5 of you should join. Tehehehehe.¡± Zeke face was beet red definitely having some perverted fantasy. Mikota swiftly knocked Zeke out with the tea kettle. ¡°I can''t believe him. Maybe a nap will do him good. Miss Melody I will show you to your quarters. The rest you are welcomed to stay but I am sure you all busy.¡± Mikota bowed to us. We all said goodbye to Melody for now she would be safe here as for us we had to meet up with Mandy. It is weird that I would be getting butterflies in my stomach just from thinking about seeing her? Mandy please forgive me! I have missed you so. Chapter 34 Reaching for the Stars 34 Reaching for the Stars After escorting Melody to Zeke''s dojo we had some time to kill. My brother Max excused himself to attend business before going to Mandy''s so he so split from us. My guess is had to go to the mages guild to send a message through to Abbot about the intel I gave him but perhaps it was something else entirely. ¡°Now that its just us girls......... Shopping time!¡± Siena gleefully said right as Max left. ¡°Yes I agree too. We have been studing non-stop I need to get my mind on something else for a bit. We have some time to kill anyways. I can always use more cute outfits and I am sure that Kara can too!¡± Skyler quickly agreed to Siena'' proposal. Libby as usual was indifferent. ¡°Do I not have any say in this? Skyler how are you going to pay for your stuff last time I checked you didn''t have much gold.¡± How is this happening aren''t I the noble? Well I suppose technically Skyler and Siena are nobles too. But shouldn''t my say be final since I am the boss here? ¡°Kara come on it will be fun! Anyways your father told you to take care of me, I would assume that includes financially.¡± The old man did give me a couple hundred gold for things like this but that is like drops of water in the bucket. Skyler has an expensive taste when it comes to food, clothes, and cute things. I suppose I shouldn''t get to greedy after working as an elite assassin in Zyrus for a while I have amassed a small fortune so money isn''t the issue here. Its just the principle! I will have to start calling her moocher-chan instead of slacker-chan. I suppose I should have foresaw this. I wonder why I don''t have the will to protest a small shopping trip. I too enjoy shopping but just not for attire like the others. Perhaps I am just nervous about seeing Mandy again, what if she acts similar to the way Claire has treated me. If that were to happen I don''t know if my heart could take it... We went shop to shop looking at and trying on various outfits, well at least Siena and Skyler did. I wont say it wasn''t enjoyable but the whole time they were trying to get me to try on outfits as well. Its just after working in a tailoring shop and being forced to model many outfits as well as being a princess and having maids play dress up with me as well. I have sort of become numb to to this sort of thing, in fact, I have become annoyed by the whole process. I would however give my opinion on certain outfits using my knowledge gained from working for Mistress Jennifer. Which was welcome input for the others and even surprised them I could pick up such small things about certain outfits. Finally after loading up poor Libby with a mountain of bags we decided it was time to head to Mandy''s. Mandy of course is my older sister who is married to the first prince of Jabel Felix Moon. They lived in the north part of town which nobles and wealthy merchants lived. This part of town was a definite separation economically. All the houses were bigger, there was in increase in city guard and everyone here seemed to be well off. ¡°Stop thief!¡± A voice said out loud. Looking over to where the voice was I could see a commotion going down. Unconsciously I started to sprint over to where this was all going down not thinking it could be a trap. Sitting on the ground was a distressed lady. She had on somewhat fancy clothes, she looked like she probably lived in this part of town. Lots of people were surrounding her as she pleaded for help. ¡°Please someone that thief stole my necklace. It is all I have to remember my mother with!¡± The poor lady was crying so bad. I can''t help myself I will track down this thief. ¡°What way did they go cutey?¡± Someone next to me in the group surrounding her asked before I could. When I turned to look at the person whom asked I was astonished. Jet black shoulder length hair, with an amazing athletic figure, and her face was gorgeous too. Her voice exuded confidence, and her breathing and stance were both top notch clearly trained in martial arts. The most mysterious of her features however were her eyes. Her eyes were different colors, the one on the left was a light sky blue and her eye on the right was an amber gold color. I remember about this condition it is called heterochromia. She wore a Mahouren uniform with a decorative patch over her sleeve. ¡°He went that way!¡± She pointed south towards the shopping district. Her face was beet red I think from being called cutey. ¡°Ring of Hestius I call upon you. Unlock.¡± The girl''s right hand started to glow, more accurately the ring on her right hand began to glow. What was this power? It is an amazing amount of magic to even someone of my level. Around her body magical power began to circulate around in the form of Golden flames. The golden flames are now condensing into wings on her back. As soon as that happened the girl shot off like a rocket into the sky. I instantly felt the pain of jealousy since I too have wings but am not allowed to use them. Stopping abruptly in the air she took a second then raised her right hand as she was casting a spell. I couldn''t hear a chant but I could tell it was lightning based spell. A streak of lightning shot from her hand towards the south. Amazing pin point accuracy from that far away? After casting this spell she summoned some sort of creature near her. No this was a familiar. It took the form of a bird of fire, a phoenix. She sent it out towards the location that her spell landed. Incredible I think that is an extremely rare familiar. Perhaps is a legendary familiar. The girl slowly began to descend back down on our location. By the time she reached the ground her familiar had returned carrying the thief who was unconscious from the spell. Just your run of the mill pickpocket who thought this area would be worth the risk with the increased guard. As the thief was dropped by the flaming bird''s talons the girl reached into the thief''s pocket and pulled out an ornate necklace. In tears the woman thanked her wholeheartedly. I was in so much shock of the whole event that I hadn''t even looked at her status. Who was this beautiful multicolored eyed girl not that much older then me. I pulled up her status as she walked away, having called the guards to apprehend the thief for the city dungeon. What I saw took all the air out of my stomach. ¡°Kara who was that ridiculous girl? Is she really a student at Mahouren? I saw the uniform but that spell just now was insane and her familiar was strong too.¡± Skyler asked as my companions had caught up to the scene. I went to open my mouth but one of the onlookers said it before me. ¡°So that was Sonya Lionblade the student council president of Mahouren? Wow she is amazing! She has won the student mage tournament 3 years running.¡± The girl I just saw was none other the daughter of Darius Lionblade and she was stronger then me by my estiamtion. ¡°Lionblade? Isn''t that the beastking''s last name.¡± Skyler wasn''t the best at remembering these kinds of things. ¡°No his last name is Lionheart. Lionblade is the family name of the Rendillian royalty.¡± Siena clarified to Siena. ¡°She is Darius''s daughter?!¡± Skyler now asks shocked. ¡°Yes I had no idea that someone like that was the president. I could of swore she winked at me before she left.¡± I couldn''t 100% confirm this last tidbit but I am pretty sure it happened. ¡°Well we better get to Mandy''s to get cleaned up.¡± Quickly we collected ourselves and headed Mandy and Felix''s residence. The mansion was not as flashy as I was expecting. Felix Moon was the first prince here in this country. However Jabel''s monarchy was a lot different then other countries. While the royal family were well respected and considered this counties representatives at official events. However they had little power in comparison to other countries monarchies even in comparison to my own family''s monarchy. The majority of the power in this country was held by both by the nobles and Mahouren itself. While the mobilized army was not very large no one would dare to invade because if the mages of Mahouren were to get involved it would become a conquest that would be unreasonable to achieve. Though it is not as grand as I had imagined it was still a mansion and it is well guarded. All element Magic Barrier, level 60 guards, a butler stronger then the level 60 guards, and maids almost as strong as the guards too. ¡°Princess Kara, your sister Lady Moon has been expecting you. Please this way.¡± The butler looked on the surface just to be a regular old man with a monocle. But after looking at his stats I found he was a level 78 his class was Monk a fighter who specializes in hand to hand combat. After leading us inside a maid came up to our group. ¡°Your sister has requested to talk to you in private. Follow me and if your servants would be so kind and follow Mia here.¡±After seeing me nod in favor of the situation Libby Skyler, and Siena were led down one of the two halls in the house. ¡°Princess Kara this way if you would be so kind.¡± Very butler like he escorted me to another part of the mansion. Soon we reached a descending stairway. After reaching a underground hall we reached a door. Causally knocking and receiving approval to enter the butler opened the door. The inside down here was sort of like a workshop. I could see enchanting, alchemy, inscription, among other equipment. ¡°Your Grace I have brought your sister Princess Kara as you have asked.¡± He said bowing out of respect as he entered. I finally got a good chance to look at my sister for the first time in a while. Her features hadn''t changed much, perhaps she was a bit more curvy now. However she had a different kind of aura now. Not just one of a royalty. No this was an aura of a first rate mage and her eyes laid upon me like a predator on with its eyes on its prey. Totally fixated on me. ¡°Thank you Ollie if you wouldn''t mind I would like to talk to my sister in private.¡± Very cold like she dismissed her butler. ¡°Excuse me then.¡± Once again bowing the butler departed. ¡°Maa.....nnn....ddd.....yyy¡± Was all I could utter out as she slowly walked up to me still having yet to blink once. Click..........Click............Click...........Click All you could hear were her footsteps one at a time. Gradually getting slightly louder as she got closer and closer until finally. She was right in front of me. Somehow I was petrified I had been waiting for this moment for so long. But her attitude and aura right now I feel as though she is going to treat me and in the same manner that Claire has so far. It is weird to say it but that fear is far worse then I have ever felt before even after facing death several times now. Still looking coldly at me her hand swung towards my face. Normally such a slow blow would have been easily dodged but right now the fear in my body was so much that it was impossible for me. Smack! A slap on the right side of my face the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional pain I was feeling. Mandy is going to be this way too.............. Having slapped me in face her stone cold face quickly turned to one of tears and emotion. She quickly hugged me tight as if she never wanted to let go. Crying into my shoulder. I suppose I deserved that, with this embrace she is letting me know all is forgiven. My soul is truly lifted. ¡°You idiot! We missed you so much!¡± The fear that I felt from earlier started to wash away from Mandy''s tears now dripping down my back. I couldn''t help it these tears must have been contagious because the usually stoic me started to tear up too. ¡°Please forgive me big sister!¡± I gripped her with an equal embrace I know that my decisions have caused emotional wounds to my family and it weighs heavily upon me. It took a few minutes to clear the waterworks but finally we both collected ourselves. Mandy pulled out a chair and we were finally able to sit down and discuss matters. We spent the next hour or so catching up. Since I had been constantly writing to her she more of less earch was in space-time magic, currently it is possible to store things in spacial pockets. Like with a spacial ring. However the transfer of anything living would fail, she theorized that was because the space in there was a vacuum. Living things cannot survive in a vacuum so the spell wouldn''t allow it. However if there was she was aware of what I had been up to. I was more interested in what she was up to. Her most recent resa way to make a new spell that had air and light inside it. It might become possible to overcome this. ¡°So it seems you have intentions to attend Mahouren with your friend Skyler¡± Mandy asked. ¡°Yes that is the plan. Hopefully we will be able to room together. I don''t know how the housing situation here works.¡± I answer question truthfully ¡°Quite confident aren''t you? I would expect nothing less. As for housing no special accommodations for royalty also your roommates are assigned at random.....well we do keep separate dorms for both boys and girls of course. Servants have there own quarters as well and may come and go as they please¡± Mandy explained to me. ¡°Come on there has to be something you can do this girl will fail out without me pushing her if she even manages to get in!¡± If I am not her roommate it is going to cause issues probably. ¡°Well there is one thing. Whoever is the top student of a grade gets there own personal suite in the Student council dorms. These rooms are much larger then the other rooms and are really sought after. A person with one of these rooms is allowed a roommate if they desire it. Oh yeah also this student council dorm has a built in hot-spring inside it. I was pretty much in this dorm my whole time there I must say it pays to be talented¡± So it seems here at Mahouren the most talented are rewarded several luxuries. ¡°So how are student council members as well as class representatives chosen?¡± It is obvious that this should be my goal even though having to do student council stuff will get annoying. ¡°Well here at Mahouren there is a points system called the Magus rating. While the exact formula isn''t known except to certain faculty it is calculated upon three different criteria. First it rates you academic achievements, this can range from test scores, to research, and everything in between. The second rating is your combat abilities. Keep in mind this rating is not purely based upon your own strength, so if you are an enchanter or some kind of class that buffs other party members it takes that into consideration as well. The last rating is your achievements in extracurricular activities as well as any other things not encompassed by the first two ratings.¡± She finished her explanation. ¡°So the student with the top Magus score in a grade is the representative?¡± I seem to understand the process now. ¡°Yes now you are probably wondering how the student council is determined.¡± She knew my next question before I asked it.¡± ¡°Well unlike the representatives the student council is selected by the president and vice president of the student council. These two positions are given to the winner and runner up in the School Mage Tournament respectively.¡± It seems the school puts a lot effort in this tournament to make it popular. ¡°It seems sort of irresponsible to put someone in power simply because of their combat strength. Being good at fighting has no bearing on whether they are good at leading or organizing things.¡± ¡°Well that''s just how it has always been. The president gets to appoint secretaries, treasurers, and disciplinary squad members. So there responsibility is more to supervise the other members along with the vice president. The founder wanted there to be serious battles between the top students to create rivalrys in the student mage tournament¡± ¡°Thank you for explaining all that. It is probably time we head to dinner.¡± I say after my tummy grumbled embarrassingly. ¡°Hey Kara I never thanked you for helping out those kids whom were enslaved here. I figured out what you did back then.¡± I suppose that incident drove me to write her letters all these years because if I hadn''t she would have wasted time searching for me. ¡°It was nothing.¡± I humbly replied. After the meeting with Mandy finished it was dinner time. My dutiful maid Libby had already picked out an outfit based on what would be appropriate for such a dinner. It was a simple white blouse and black skirt, I must admit not having to pick out clothes is a welcome change from before. I want to look good but I hate wasting time picking stuff out so this situation with Libby is ideal. Dinner was somewhat interesting I found out that Felix''s little brother was a student at Mahouren a second year. In fact he was the freshman representative but someone overtook his position going into the second year. After talking about the representatives and student council I found that many of the representatives were nobility. I suppose it shouldn''t be surprising as wealthy families were able to nurture their children''s talents with better resources. However the president Sonya had selected a few commoners to work on the student council which upset some of the nobles at Mahouren. It seems she also has only appointed girls to work on the student council with her. Many joked that she had her own harem there. Finishing dinner, we all got ready for bed. Mandy was kind enough to leave a couple books in my bedchamber that she knew I would enjoy. Sleep came quickly and with it weird dreams again. ¡°A black rose can only bloom in complete darkness. A white rose can only bloom under the full sun. A red rose blooms under your fallen enemies but a golden rose......That can only bloom fearlessly reaching for the stars.¡± These words echoed in my head as I woke up early the next day. The voice seemed to be that of Tiamat. Was Tiamat giving me a riddle? Her priest told me once ''A black rose can only bloom in complete darkness.'' and I have had dreams of the black rose and it honesty it was more of a nightmare then a dream. But the rest of this is all new. White roses there not really that uncommon I think it is the yang to the black rose''s yin metaphorically here in this poem. Red roses are of the same color of blood so I think that too was another metaphor. But a golden rose that doesn''t exist here in nature, only a yellow rose. Was ''golden'' a reference to me? It''s the only possible conclusion I can come up with. Golden is often used to describe someone extremely talented. My last name is Rosewood, and not to mention my hair is a golden blonde. It is the only logical conclusion. Also being Tiamat it is also might be a jab at her brother Bahumut who wanted to make me the golden knight his champion. Hmm I guess I will just have to take it in stride. Reach for the Stars? I wonder if that''s another metaphor? ¡°Princess Kara its Libby.¡± A tentative knock on the door. ¡°Please enter.¡± I say still naked well almost naked I keep my daggers with me when I sleep. ¡°I have washed your underwear and socks for you.¡± She was holding my undergarments both white and my two black knee socks. The outfit itself was made by Jennifer-sama to never need to be washed. ¡°Libby do you think it would be dumb not to hold back today?¡± I ask I honestly. I was planning to hold back somewhat because I have enough interest on me as it is. ¡°Honestly if people were to see what Princess Kara is capable it would cause a bit of a commotion. However this might be a good thing, students will be less likely to approach you. As far as becoming a target, I don''t think there is any concern. The only country we are potentially at war with is Rendil and the King seems infatuated by you so an assassination would be unlikely. I doubt any kidnapping attempt would work either based upon your abilities and the security here.¡± She paused for a second. ¡°Also if you are the top student during the entrance exam you will get a room in the Astral Dorms. You can be close to your sister Claire.¡± Libby must have read up on this place. When she said astral my heart skipped a beat. So Tiamat was telling me to go all out today and secure a spot in those dorms? Would I really need to go all out to secure a spot? Finishing getting ready with Libby''s help I gathered up with everyone as we headed towards Mahouren. Skyler didn''t say a word all morning. Even at breakfast, she seemed rested but was unusually focused odd usually she is a blabbermouth, it seems like she is taking this seriously. What a welcome change! Now if only we could get Siena to take things seriously she is still half asleep. I guess I will get serious too, time to reach for the stars. We left early but there still is a large crowd in front of us. The front gates of Mahouren were open and there were atleast a dozen scribes writing information down. It was quite cramped here and most of the kids were my age. Some of them had servants with them too they were probally nobles. Mandy had to help with the entrance exam so she went ahead of us and wished us good luck. For almost an hour we stood in this mass of people slowly making our way to the front. ¡°Lara?¡± A voice called out, I didn''t recognize the voice so I turned around. A young boy in fancy clothes was staring at me. It seemed he had a guard with him as well. Did I know him? Also he called me Lara this is very concerning! ¡°You don''t recognize me do you...¡± I totally didn''t recognize him! I quickly cheat using analyze on his status. Prince Ryalith Swansong of the Calipis Empire. ¡°Shhhh....... of course I remember you prince Ryalith. We met in Zyrus after the Summit tournament right? I was pretending to be an elf and won the tournament. Keep that stuff that happened a secret please, Lara was just my alias at the time. My real name is Kara Rosewood.¡± I need to keep Lara and Kara separate. He seems like the type who can keep a secret. ¡°Rosewood.......like in the royal family of Termain? So that would make you a pr..pri. pri.. princess?!¡± He was stunned and I can''t say I blame him. His cheeks even blushed a bit. He probably never imagined I held such a status.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°So you are going to apply to Mahouren? But you are already such an amazing fighter, wouldn''t you be better training that instead?¡± A reasonable question but he doesn''t realizes my potential to use magic yet. ¡°It has always been a dream of mine to use magic and this place is the best to train me with that. I won''t get another chance to enter this place.¡± I say half pay attention to who else might be lurking in the crowd here. ¡°Next in line¡± A voice calls out oh that''s me. ¡°Do you think that we could sometime you know ummm uhhh....¡± He started say something but lost the courage halfway. ¡°Well see ya around Prince Ryalith. Good luck to you and do your best.¡± My turn had finally came at the registration desk. ¡°Papers?¡± It was older looking mage probably a faculty member or alumni. I handed him my papers. He looked over the for a minute and finally wrote something down. Handing me back my papers along with a number with a pin, the number was 133. I kind of wanted to add a 7 to the end but I bit my lip and held back. I tried to pin it to my uniform but of course a pin stood no chance against Jennifer''s embersilk uniform I had to instead pin it to my cloak. ¡°Princess Kara Rosewood, good luck today...... Next¡± It was Skyler''s turn to register. Shocked after looking at her papers the mage finally wrote her name and and gave her sticker number 134. After registering we were followed the crowd down the road from the gate. Within the gate of Mahouren was pretty much a whole other city. Think of it like the Vatican back in my old world. There were new shops, art, architecture. Whereas outside the city everything is sprawled out in here the building stretched vertically to make the most use of the space. When you look from afar all you see is the school building itself and maybe the arena that is dwarfed by its brother the coliseum outside the school grounds. You don''t realize all the shops, dorms, and houses here. Last time I came I didn''t really appreciate it as much. Following the crowd for a few more minutes we traverse even more space navigating down a several streets in the process. Finally we were emptied out into the large courtyard in front of the actual school. For a while we just waited here, waiting for everyone to finish registering. After what seemed like forever a familiar person came out on top of the steps of the school looking down upon us it was Elise the headmaster here. She was a beautiful elf, it seems she hasn''t aged at all. ¡°Welcome everyone to the Mahouren school of Magic entrance exam. Here at Mahouren our goal is simply to help train and nurture youths into become elite mages. Unfortunately we can''t take in everyone as our capacity is limited so the spots available are given out based on current ability and potential. Wealth or status does not matter, those who have trouble paying for tuition will be accommodated for. This is a core principle left by the founder. An education is the greatest investment you will ever make. Ok now on to business we have several tests for you to take to determine both your current aptitude for magic as well as your potential to use magic. To speed things up we will split you all up into 4 groups and perform each test then rotate the groups and complete a different test. The first test is over your mana. All aspects of your mana are considered and ranked from E to A and even S ranking. Don''t worry if your mana score is E rank it doesn''t mean you fail by any means. At your age the average rank is D for the entrance exam so that would mean you are slightly below average and would be able to make it up on the other 3 tests. The second test is the written test. It covers basic knowledge an aspiring mage should probably know. Anyone caught cheating will be immediately removed and fail the entrance exam regardless of their performance on the other tests. The third test is the practical. We will test your use of spells. You will given an opportunity to showcase your abilities to the examiner. Whether it be in a mock battle, use of healing magic, or use of some sort of enhancement magic as well as whatever else you can do. Basically your goal is to impress the examiner in some fashion. The final test is the interview. One of our faculty will ask you several questions and you will have an opportunity to ask us some questions as well. This is an important part of the entrance exam so please take it seriously. Ok I will now cast a spell that will randomize the groups. ¡° She started chanting some spell but it was too faint for me to pick up on the language. After she finished light started to materialize on the numbers we had. I pulled my cloak around mine to see what color I had gotten mine had turned blue, Skyler''s had turned red. There were also people with yellow and green. ¡°Those who have the color green follow Mr. Kline here. Those whom color is Red follow Mr. Balzur. Those who have yellow follow Mrs. Moon. Those who have blue will follow me. Once again good luck to you all.¡± When she pointed Mrs. Moon I realized this was actually Mandy it took me a second to realize that she was actually Mandy Moon now, Rosewood was now here maiden name. Damn its too bad I couldn''t be in her group oh well. Me along with the rest of the ''blues'' followed the headmistress. As she led us inside of the side building on the school grounds. It seemed like this place a testing ground for magical devices. In the middle of this building was a peculiar device set up. At the bottom there was some type of orb and it was connected to a set of 5 transparent pipes the pipes went straight up and had another pipe perpendicular jet off from it about 75% the way to the top. The horizontal pipes all converged into another pipe this one was much wider then the others going up there were markers E, D, C, B, A, and S. ¡°So the first test today is a test to determine your how good your mana capabilities are. So when we are looking at your mana capabilities. The first quality is your mana pool which is how big your pool of mana is. The second quality is your mana concentration this is how pure your mana is. The third quality is your mana control basically this is how well you can accurately put mana in when trying to only use a certain amount. Next we look at your mana output which is how much mana you can use at one time. Finally we look at your mana recovery which is how quickly you can regenerate mana.¡± She points to the device in the middle of the room. ¡°This is the device is known as the mana crucible. It is a test that encompasses all of the 5 qualities we are looking for to give a standardized grade. If you get accepted here this is a test you will perform at the end of each semester. So when taking this test you will transfer mana from the sphere into these 5 pipes. Each pipe can be given mana individually through the sphere or at the same time depending how you transfer the mana. However at a lower level it more optimal to close off the flow to all but one or two of the pipes by pulling the levers down on the side. To prevent yourself from accidentally wasting mana as you will not need to use them with your current mana pools The fluid inside these pipes is filled with a special element that changes to a light blue when it has mana in it. Every time you pass mana through one of these tubes you can see it pass through. When it reaches the intersection it will change course and head off towards the collection tube. Any excess mana will be lost at this intersection so this is where your mana control abilities come into play. The exact amount of mana needed is the same as a level 1 fireball in case you were wondering. The test is to see how much mana you get in the collection tube in one minutes time. Each student will gets two tries and we will take the best of the two tries. Feel free to help yourself to any mana potions between your attempts, the alchemy club was so kind to have prepared a huge tank for today. Ok the first one up is number 1 Orston Gam.¡± Her long explaination was finally over. One by one I watched as student did this test. Even with using only one tube most students still ran out of mana well before the 1 minute mark. Like she said earlier most people here are getting D or E ranks, only one of the 30 some people I have seen has even close to C level. Looking at the tank it seems the amount of mana at each level increases almost exponentially. So the amount of mana to get to C from D was probably ten fold what it took from E to D. There may have been a singular letter grade but after each attempt Elise wrote down the exact height of mana in the tube. I think the letter system was just there to motivate people to try hard. ¡°Number 133 Kara Rosewood¡± I walked forward I had been wearing my cloak the whole time and keeping my presence to a minimum just so I could avoid talking to people. Yes I know I am anti-social. ¡°Rosewood? We had a princess in our group? The hell I didn''t notice!¡± People started to murmur in the crowd. With mention of my name. ¡°I hear she has the voice and face of an angel.¡± Ugh kill me now. I walked up to the sphere pulling down my cloak. ¡°She is soooo cute!¡± ¡°Ohh my god¡± ¡°The rumors are true!¡± Elise seemed annoyed too at this chatter. ¡°Please be quiet unless you want me to use a wind spell to make you quiet.¡± Scary! I am glad for that it would be hard to concentrate with all the constant lionization. I walk up to pipes and pull down the lever''s opening up all 5 pipes. Everyone is gasping at me doing this even the headmistress herself. ¡°You sure you want to do that? I don''t recommend more then two right now.¡± She warned me. Not heading her warning at all I put my hand just over the sphere ready to begin. Waiting for me to change my mind she finally gives up and flips over the hourglass beginning the time. Mana needed for a level 1 fireball I can pull up the exact amount since my mana control is probably my strongest quality even more then my mana purity. In fact send the exact amount through each finger in my right hand easily. I watch as simultaneously all 5 pipes have a streak of light blue float up and go down the intersection into the collection tube. The blue is a lot more darker then the other students were due to my mana purity so with only my first discharge of mana I have filled collection tube with already half way into D. Which alone causes people around to start to gasp in surprise. I realize that I can rapidly send waves pulsing the exact amount needed in all five pipes over and over again with ease. From an onlooker it probably looks like a solid blue tube but if you look close enough you can see the tiny little gaps between each pulse. I am surprised this thing is actually eating away at my mana pool rapidly soaking it up like a towel, fortunately I also have rapid mana regeneration from an early age when all I did was cultivate my mana. Even still at the halfway mark I am below 50% mana. This device is actually able to keep up with my mana pool. The whole room is literally silent at my performance everyone''s jaws are wide open as far as they go. I bet that Elise, most of the teachers, Sonya and my sisters can do this type of performance too. Its not that impressive if you ask me. With the hourglass still having a bit of sand in it I realized that I have long passed A rank and am well above the S line in the tube. In fact if I had a slightly bigger mana pool I would have been able to completely fill the tube to the ceiling. I guess I still have room to improve. The hourglass finished and Elise called for time. ¡°She cheated right? There is no way that just happened. That was some kind of illusion or trick right?¡± The girl who had gotten previous high mark before me said flabbergasted at what she witnessed. ¡°No that was legitimate. Your sister told me you were ridiculous, but ridiculous doesn''t even describe it¡± She used wind magic to float and measure the spot as she couldn''t reach it otherwise. Jotting it down then releasing the mana in the tube resetting the device for the next student. ¡°Do you mind if skip my next go? I am happy with what I got obviously.¡± ¡°As you wish. Next in line is number 137 Sue Cluver.¡± I walk over to an empty spot in the corner and pull out a book I borrowed from Mandy. I notice a few of the students were coming over to talk to me but I look at them with cold eyes and they quickly retreat. Anti-social I know. Time goes by and eventually everyone in our group has had there chances at the device. In the end everyone except me got an E or D rank. With this portion of the exam complete she handed over her scroll she had been recording our results with over to one of her aids and started leading our group to another part of the school. This time it was actually inside the school. Going down several flights of stairs we soon entered a large assembly hall room with desks set up with parchment and pens. I suppose this was the written part of the exam Each table had a number corresponding to it. After finding my seat I waited for the test to begin. Two hours is what we have to complete this test. I am surprised how closely resembling this test is to my practice tests I made up for Skyler. I hope she did well because it was a lot of work for me. Needless to say there are only a couple questions out of the hundred that I need to use my gift of information on. All in all I would say that test fairly difficult. I got up and handed my answers to the the teacher in charge of taking answer sheets. Again everyone was looking at me like I was crazy for only using 20 minutes for a 2 hour test. Apprehensively she took my answers and another faculty member escorted me to another waiting room. I pulled the same book from earlier maybe I will be able to finish it during this exam. Slowly but surely the waiting room began to fill up with other examinees. They still were looking at me inquisitive eyes. Finally one the students found the courage to speak to me. ¡°How strong are you? I imagine with S rank mana control you can cast some pretty impressive spells.¡± He earnestly asked. My book was in a good place to set it down so I figure I could chat for a bit. ¡°Strong for a examinee? Well that is for sure. Strong for a student here at Mahouren? That might be true too, but I am by no means already the strongest. In the grand scheme of things I am pretty much a big fish in a vast ocean of other big fishes.¡± I reply honestly. ¡°How do you think you did on written portion?¡± This time it was a the girl from earlier her name was Ruby Owal. She was the one who almost got rank C on the mana test. ¡°Probably got all of them right but I did rush it a bit so maybe I missed one or two. I was at a point in this book that was very interesting so I did rush a bit.¡± I answered awaiting the next question. The questions continued for some time. Basically they were interested in me what kind of food I liked. What was it like living in a palace. What was it like having such strong older sisters as mages. Eventually the two hours had finished. Instead of going to our next test this was a designated lunch break. We were lead into the cafeteria here and it was very grand like you could imagine. Magical device briskly at work doing various duties such as cooking and cleaning. To my surprise Libby was already here waiting for me. She had a box lunch already prepared for me! Skyler was already here but I didn''t see Siena. I sat down and opened up my lunch it was rice balls. I had taught Libby how to prepare them and she easily mastered it. ¡°Thank you Libby you are the best! Nom nom nom nom.¡± I rapidly ate all of them. Then looked at Skyler''s lunch. She was super quiet, she seen I was hungry so she slid the rest of her lunch Libby prepared too and I scarfed that down too. I easily could eat more then anyone I knew and I had the appetite too. Unfortunately my mother deemed such behavior unladylike so most of life I had to hold back but not anymore. ¡°You okay Skyler? How has your examination going¡± I ask curious how she was doing today. ¡°I suppose so the first thing we had to do was the interview. I think I did very well in it. I was surprised they knew I was dragon-kin. They asked questions about you in particular. I didn''t say anything about our situation other then you were basically my best friend. The next test was the mana test. I finished with halfway through rank D. Other then prince who talked to you from earlier I had the best score for the mana test among our group.¡± It seems she is doing good today I suppose she is the type who only gets serious for tests and slacks off the rest of the time. ¡°Ryalith what rank did he get?¡± I was curious about him, he had a large mana pool when I looked at his status. ¡°Rank C and about a quarter the way towards rank B. It was amazing how good he was using 3 pipes at the same time. I bet he could even give you a run for you money.¡± Rank C that is impressive he must have worked hard. ¡°Is this the girl who got rank S on the mana exam?¡± A pompous looking boy asked. Looking at me. One of the people from my group was with him. ¡°Yea that''s her. She is a princess so you should probably be respectful.¡± He added it seemed that the other kid was had probably forced him to point me out. ¡°Graun there is now way a gorgeous princess like this is some kind of monster like that. Oh I am sorry milady I am Raul. I am from Valsey, my father is a merchant. I am sorry for my friend here he must have confused your stunning beauty for getting S ranked in the mana test. It is impossible for an examinee after all the highest ever gotten before during entrance exams was rank B by the current student council president. I knew my friend was lying when I came over here and didn''t feel you presence.¡± Raul said smugly and softly punched his friend. ¡°Your friend tells the truth. If you were gunning for representative I am sorry but the position will be mine.¡± I say confidently. Skyler knows I am probably not lying and seems shocked at how wide the gap truly is between us. ¡°Oh is that so? You know I cast a level 2 spell in 3 different elements. I am practically a shoo in for representative.¡± Raul flexed trying to impress me. ¡°Very well Mr. Representative excuse me I have lost my appetite.¡± I said and left abruptly, his type is definitely the worse. Arrogant thinking I would be impressed by level 2 spells when I can cast level 4 spells in almost any element excluding Light. I should just stick with Fire, Earth, and Lightning for the practical those are the elements I am the most consistent in. After regrouping with the ''blues'' we were escorted to the arena here on campus. It was decently large and could easily fit the whole student body. I have read that they hold all kinds of competitions here from the student tournament to the 3 on 3 tournaments, as well as a martial art tournament that works with the surrounding dojo''s like Zeke''s. The ground is split up the first half has various types of target dummys. To moving golems and device capable of measuring dispel, illusion, other types of magic. The second half was an empty space with a strong barrier around people who want a mock battle. ¡°This is the practical here will demonstrate your abilities in whatever manner you want. Those that want a mock battle can separate into a different group over here.¡± Elise said pointing over towards the empty half of the areana. Hmmm this puts me in a pickle to truly demonstrate my abilities I need a lot more space then this half cramped with all the dummy and magic devices. I raise my hand. ¡°Yes Kara what you have a question?¡± She turned to me. ¡°Honestly a mock battle is what I want to do but does it have to be against a fellow examinee can I possibly do a mock battle with someone else or something else? Like a golem maybe.¡± I ask her seriously. ¡°You must think very highly of yourself. That is fine Iris would please go grab a golem from the practice facility? I think a type C would be fine¡± She called one of her assistants over to go and grab a golem for me. I stayed in the back of the line as the practicals carried on. The mock battles were fairly entertaining for the most part it was all level one spells with a couple of students capable of level 2. Injuries here were easily treated by one of faculty who specialized in healing magic. The other students were doing there best as well over on the other side. It must be a difficult job as an evaluator because there score here could easily determine whether they get into school or not. The mock battles had finished and now just the other side was carrying out practicals. Boom.....Boom....Boom ¡­... I could hear the ground shake as something very big was headed this way. On the far side of the arena was a large gate for bigger things to enter I watched as that gate opened up for a large golem. I suppose its too late to back out now. ¡°Well I assuming you can perform at least level 2 spell fighting a golem of this caibur should give you an opportunity to show some things. However I notice you are danger I will stop the golem and your mock battle will conclude. This type C golem is what our seconds years fight for there practical exams. The battle will begin as soon as you enter the arena¡± The headmistress explained this mock battle for me. I looked around and everyone was focused on me now. I guess Elise figured there would be a lot of intrigue so she let me have this type of stage. In fact in the crowd now were many current students and even teachers who had yet started classes yet. I guess I didn''t really notice them till now but they must have heard about my S-rank mana capabilities and wanted to see me in a mock battle. I pull my hood down so my vision is unhindered. My Sidhe staff that I had on my back pulled up taking the cover off revealing the blue glow as I walked into the barrier. The golem started coming forward immediately. Very well lets impede its movement. ¡°Consuming sand, pull my enemies down swallowing them in the earth. Shifting Sands!¡± I cast shifting sands a level 3 earth spell. It makes the ground basically like quick sand. The golem who runs right into the sand easily gets stuck. Immobile the golem performs a beam attack that I easily cartwheel out of the way of. Following the beam attack I sprint up towards the golem acrobatically running up its arm to behind doing a flip up on to its head. ¡°With the despair of a thousand winters sap the hope and warmth with my touch. Icy grasp.¡± Icy grasp was another level 3 spell this time a water spell. Using the staff and completing the touch attack spell it easily freezes the golem completely like a golem popsicle. With my target immobilized and now defenseless I dismount from his head with a back flip giving myself ample space for my finisher. ¡°Through fire it all began, through fire it will all end. Giver and taker of life consume all at once and release all at once. Explosion!¡± Using the full power of the Sidhe staff I cast a level 4 Explosion aimed right at the center of the frozen golem. Explosion is one of the spells I have been working hard on it is technically a hybrid wind and fire spell. At this point it is pretty much a level 6 spell in effect to the golem since frozen targets have the shatter effect when they take exploding or physical damage like this. I suppose this might be a bit of overkill. The result of this spell is so intense that not only is the golem completely shattered I have also shattered over half of the ground that was frozen quick sand along with level 5 barrier around this area causing all the devices that were set up on the other side to be knocked over from the wind gust from the explosion. The debris of the explosion starts to rain down dangerously but the headmistress quickly blew it away with wind magic. After this display the entire crowd is speechless as they all gasp at what just happened. Just as it was with the mana exam. I am sick of people thinking I am some sort of pretty princess I am glad I am actually going all out today. With them knowing my true ability they will be able to help me better too. A level 4 spell here is not so crazy even if it was a hybrid spell. With our practicals finished and the stadium in need of some repair our group was lead back inside for our interviews. I figured I was about to face a barrage of questions from the other students but Elise asked to come do my interview first. It seemed one of her assistants was taking interviews as well to speed things up. Elise led me into an office and sat down and looked my straight in the face. ¡°Would show me your status? Unlike last time I am sure you can manage such an easy spell¡± I guess this was a fair question. ¡°Is it fine if I don''t give you the whole thing? Certain things I would like to keep to myself.¡± I state seriously. ¡°Like what?¡± Naturally she was curious what I would need to hide from her. ¡°Ummm mostly my pacts and maybe a couple of my skills. I have no problem showing you my basic status though.¡± I can''t have her know everything after all. Especially my psionic abilities and affiliation with the assassins guild. ¡°Well I guess that''s fine. You don''t quite trust me yet and I can understand wanting to be careful here. Could you atleast give me any magic related skills you posses? The more I know about your current abilities the better I can help you grow as a mage.¡± With that comprise made I reached out and sent the headmistress the agreed upon info. She sat there awhile going over it. ¡°It is more amazing then I thought. You were blessed with a gift from rapid growth the Gift of the Adept and you have spent every single day using this gift to the fullest. The effects on you are profound and have actually caused your body to physically mature sooner than most.¡± She seemed very happy right now like she had won the lottery. ¡°What is your goal in all this why do you work so hard? What caused you to leave your family for 4 years so you could get stronger. It seems you gave up your childhood to gain this strength there has to be a good reason.¡± Her next question threw me for a bit of a loop but I thought about it and answered seriously. ¡°A very wise person whom I trust told me there was a storm coming to this world in the future and this storm will not be a demon invasion. No this storm makes a demon invasion look like a sprinkle. I am sure you know about it too, the next alignment of the planets will be the trigger. From the records I have gathered it seems the event will happen at some point within the next two decades. Add on to the fact that the demon tribe could strike at any time as well. Anyways with such an important battles on the horizon someone with my gifts and ability can''t waste them on a childhood, if I can be as strong as a summoned hero or a demon king then I need to realize that potential for our sake. I need to be able to protect my friends and family along with everyone else who calls Solus there home. ¡± This was the honest reason. ¡°I see so that''s what this is.............. well yes I do know about this storm you speak of. A seer has foretold about the planetary alignment bringing a great calamity upon this world. I feel bad for you Kara that at such a young age you have to shoulder the responsibility that your talents and gifts gives you........ Born a princess blessed with tremendous gifts and abilities, people would die to be in your shoes but they don''t realize the responsibility that power gives you. You seem to understand this aspect perfectly. Nevertheless you have made the right choice coming here. Nowhere else in the world will you be able to realize your potential in the arcane arts. I truly look forward to what you will be able to accomplish during your time here.¡± She seemed to look at me with pity, its true that I didn''t really have a childhood but that was true in my previous life as well. It was always a dream of mine to be a hero after all. ------------------------------------------Skyler''s PoV-------------------------------------------------- I did all that studying with Kara but I fell like I have forgot everything! In my previous life I would simply have copied off someone else but I think the teacher has been keeping an eye on me I don''t think I would get away with it. It too bad I cant use telepathy with Kara yet I bet she got all these questions right. She can simply pull the answers up in her head using her gift. I did my best on the test knowing my fate could be swayed by the results. I don''t know what I will do if I don''t get in here. I can''t very well ask Kara to leave this place for my sake alone. I guess I will worry about that bridge if we cross it. Tired from the 9 hour marathon that is the entrance exams I head back to place where this all began the front courtyard. Our group leader told us the results will be posted today here so all the groups are gathering back here. ¡°Did you hear in group ''blue'' there was a student so impressive that most of the faculty came to watch her practical?¡± ¡°I hear she is even more beautiful then she is talented!¡± ¡°I hear she a princess is that amazing I guess people like that really do exist. I think I am in love¡± Pffft these people are going to try to sink there filthy finger into my precious Kara you have another thing coming. I will freaking kill you all. Not only did Kara save my life she also lived in my previous world where she well she was a he at the time was a hero of sorts. She is mine alone! I look around for Kara she is taller then almost everyone here except for the servants. Ah there she is quite the crowd has surrounded her. She looks annoyed about the whole situation. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I say as a butt out the girl next her who was starry eyed of Kara. ¡°The results will be released soon?¡± I ask her just to strike up conversation. ¡°Hey what are you doing getting all friendly with the princess!¡± one of the kids was not happy I was getting her attention after having squeezed myself in. ¡°This is my best friend Skyler, I will give her as much time of mine as I please.¡± Kara seemed to be getting upset. She by nature is very serious person, but she is also respectful to you unless you have crossed her in any manner. I look at the boy who had complained and pulled my eye down to taunt him. He didn''t seem to understand the gesture perhaps its just a Japanese thing. ¡°Attention please the results of Examinations will be posted on this board momentarily. For those who made it congratulations however don''t get arrogant. It is very possible for you to fail out if you don''t or aren''t capable of keeping up. For those of you who didn''t make it, don''t give up many teachers here as well as some of the top mages in the world didn''t make the cut at this point. They used it as motivation and were able to prove to us that we made a mistake with them.¡± The announcer was one of the assistants of Elise the headmistress. Her name is Tarah Lake a dark elf or drow if you will. Oh my god I guess this finally it. I don''t think I have ever worked so hard then I have these past few months to get ready for this exam. Kara is stoic as all ever she pretty much is a lock for the top spot. I watch as the board starts to fade in writing. I start looking for my name on the board among the mosh pit of others trying to do the same. The board is big enough for a lot of people to look at it at the same time. Finally I found a gap close to the board. I am looking for my name as heart is literally in my throat.........found it! I was 20 from the bottom the lowest score to get in was 30 so I got in with a little breathing room after all. #134 Skyler Magus Score 41 Class 1-C 1-C I wonder if Kara is in same classroom as me. Finding her will be easy she is going to be the first one. Top Score and Representative of the first year students Kara Rosewood Magus Score 842 Class 3-A Runner-up Ryalith Swansong Magus Score 61 Class 1-A Wait why is Kara in a third year homeroom. It is kinda weird that she is the representative but taking classes with the third years. I suppose the student''s of each class take pride in its top student''s it wouldn''t be fair to take Kara completely away from us after all. But damn I was kind of hoping we would be in the same class after all. All around the only thing people can talk about is Kara the first year goddess.