《A Power that Lies Within》 Prologue Once upon a time, deep within an enchanted forest, there lived a young maiden who was made entirely of wood. She lived alone, unsure of where she came from or how she even came to be. The young maiden lived in a hollowed oak tree, the outside filled with birds who sang and played to their hearts content. She loved to hear the birds sing, but try as she might, they would not sing with her. This made the young maiden lonely, so she set off to find someone, just like the birds. The young maiden searched throughout the forest, wandering through the deep forest, and marching through the mossy grass below, but try as she might, she could not find anyone that would sing with her. One day, the young maiden traveled to a town at the edge of the forest in which she had never seen before. Large objects made of wood and stone filled the town as beings hurried along stone paths, occupied by whatever they were holding or screaming about. The young maiden tried to sing with the beings, but no one would stop to sing with her. This did not stop the young maiden, finally spotting a group of young children playing around a large water fountain. Laughter rang as the children played, reminding her of the birds she loved so dearly. She ran towards the children, hope filling her as she stopped and asked if they would sing with her. The children stared at her, their laughter fading into quiet whispers. Some pointed at her and giggled, not accepting her request. ¡°Why are you made of wood?¡± One of the children asked her, his voice laden with mockery. The maiden hesitated. ¡°I was just created this way,¡± she replied softly. ¡°Does your wood burn?¡± Another asked, but the maiden did not know. Dusk was arriving and it was time for the young children to return home. ¡°Will you come sing with us tomorrow?¡± They asked. ¡°Yes!¡± The young maiden promised. The next day, the young maiden returned to the water fountain, but did not see any of the children outside. She decided to sit on a bench nearby to wait for them. Suddenly, the children jumped out from their hiding places, throwing burning candles from their small hands, igniting her wooden body and sending flecks of ash and ember into the air. The young maiden cried as a new feeling erupted from inside of her. Pain. The young maiden threw herself into the fountain as the children laughed. She felt the soothing relief of the water. As she got out, her body warped into something she didn¡¯t recognize and started to flake. The children all ran away, leaving her alone and afraid. In her agony, the young maiden decided to do what made her happy. She started to sing: There once was a young wooden maiden, whose body was covered in ash, and although she tried the young maiden could not wash the dirt off her hands. So, we say hey ho, hey ho dilly dilly, the young maidens, hands full of ash. If only, if only the young maiden, could wash all the ash off her hands. After she sang the last breath of her song, a soft white light emerged from the still air. and a small green fairy with wings and eyes made of pure gold appeared. The fairy¡¯s voice was as gentle as the wind. ¡°I heard the song of your heart,¡± The fairy said, ¡°And I have come to grant your wish. Do you want to sing with the birds?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the young maiden whispered. The fairy smiled, then raised her wand, tapping her gently on the forehead. ¡°Then I shall do just that.¡± The young maiden¡¯s body flashed then transformed, sprouting blazing wings of fire. Her eyes beamed like bright rubies and she held a crown of golden flames on her head. The young maiden beamed as her voice changed into a beautiful melody, just like the birds. ¡°Never again will you have to be alone, young maiden, and you can now sing with the birds¡ª¡± ¡°Give that back Isabella!¡± Mia gasped as her younger stepsister snatched the book from her hands. Isabella¡¯s pale yellow hair wisped in the cool breeze as her deep blue eyes held a mischievous shine. Isabella stood a foot taller than her, holding the book out of her reach. ¡°But I want to read it, it looks so interesting,¡± Isabella sneered, dodging Mia and leading her in circles around the large oak tree in front of their manor. ¡°Give it back!¡± ¡°Oh, Isabella, would you stop teasing Mia.¡± Her father¡¯s kind, but firm tone froze them in place. Isabella sighed and shoved the book roughly towards Mia. ¡°But I was just playing with her¡­¡± Isabella complained. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go inside, I believe supper is almost ready anyway.¡± He beckoned to them. ¡°Fine.¡± Isabella sulked, then ran inside their manor, the smell of fresh bread wafting on the wind as she opened the front door. ¡°Come on, you.¡± He said, turning towards Mia and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. ¡°Ba, why are Isabella and Driscilla so mean to me?¡± Mia asked, clinching the book to her chest. ¡°I¡¯m always kind to them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still getting to know us, Mia. They¡¯re new at this whole stepsister thing too. Give them some time to warm up. I¡¯m sure they will be just as kind as you are.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± She said, unconvinced. He laughed and ruffled her silver hair. ¡°You¡¯ll be peas in a pod in no time.¡± Mia huffed. ¡°I hate peas.¡± This made her father laugh even more. Mia couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Ba, can you read with me after supper tonight?¡± He put his finger up, remembering something. ¡°Actually, I was going to teach you a defensive move that will let you get around any opponent. I think you¡¯ll like it.¡± ¡°Oh, Ba, can¡¯t we just read tonight? I don¡¯t want to train¡­¡± He looked at her then shrugged. ¡°Fine, but tomorrow we¡¯re training blindfolded.¡± He said, giving her a huge grin.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Mia shook her head, sticking her tongue out as she went into the house with her father. ¡°Oh, Ba, you like training too much.¡± *** ¡°Mia wake up! I told you to stay out of this room!¡± The sting of her stepmother¡¯s whip hit her hard. It was just after dawn, and she had overslept again. Her stepmother, being notorious for making sure she was on time for her chores, took every opportunity to punish her for every perceived offense. Mia scrambled to get up, her grogginess and exhaustion slowing her down, but the whip struck her hard again. ¡°Y-yes, Stepmother.¡± She said, preparing herself for the next strike. Wham! Her stepmother¡¯s whip instantly raised welts on her legs and sides, but she didn¡¯t dare move a muscle. That only made the beatings worse. Her favorite book tumbled out of her hands, as another hit on her arms made her flinch. She didn¡¯t cry out, though, she was used to the whippings by now. Mia kept her face solid and immovable as the hard slabs underfoot. Wham! ¡°Do your chores and Stay. Out. Of. This. Room.¡± Each word was punctuated by the whip cracking against her back, which she instinctively presented to protect the rest of her body. ¡°Yes, Stepmother.¡± The last hit on her back made her wince, and she was rewarded with an extra lashing, this one cutting into her left leg. Her knees buckled as the last crack against her legs reopened a fresh laceration from the previous day, and she felt warm blood trickle down. Her stepmother smiled at the sight of her blood. ¡°Your father is long dead, and this is my house. You will do as I say, or I will throw you out.¡± ¡°I told you she was in here, Isabella, now pay up.¡± Driscilla, her same-aged stepsister, sneered in triumph. While Isabella was tall and lean, Driscilla was short and pudgy. Her brown hair and black eyes looked lifeless as she held out her hand to Isabella. ¡°That¡¯s cheating! She¡¯s always in here.¡± Isabella slapped Driscilla¡¯s hand away and scowled. ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have bet¡ªa deal¡¯s a deal!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bet you anything.¡± Isabella gave Mia a withering look before she turned around to go out of the room. Driscilla followed closely, hissing, ¡°Yes, you did, Isabella!¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, Driscilla!¡± The two teens shrieked and screamed like toddlers, neither backing down. Their mother had enough and pulled them away from each other. ¡°Come on girls, let¡¯s freshen up before breakfast. It¡¯s almost time for your lessons.¡± Isabella started to follow her mother, but noticed Mia in the corner, and stopped short, mischief playing in her eyes. ¡°Mother¡­¡± she stamped her foot, ¡°Mia is being a little creep again with her judgy purple eyes. Make her stop looking at me!¡± ¡°Mia, you know better,¡± Her stepmother warned, ¡°Do you need another whipping as a reminder, you stubborn girl?¡± ¡°I beg your pardon,¡± Mia said, quickly staring at the floor. ¡°Actually, Stepmother, I¡­I was wondering if I could join you today for breakfast?¡± Isabella, Driscilla, and her stepmother looked at each other before bursting into laughter. They walked on to the hall, still laughing about her preposterous request all the way to her father¡¯s old bed chamber. Mia smiled. It was incredibly easy to get rid of them when she wanted. At last, she was left in peace. She trudged to the kitchen gingerly, her wounds still stinging. She turned her thoughts to happy times when her Ba lived, when the house was full of life, and they had helpers for the farm. Now, there was only Kitty, the cook, and a handful of loyal farmhands. Mia winced from the painful welts as she scurried down the stairs and into the kitchen. It was hard not to cry, but there wasn¡¯t any point to it. Not anymore. It had been eight years since her father died. Eight long excruciating years with her stepmother and stepsisters. Mia brushed herself off, the dirt and grime from yesterday still lingering on her clothes. Tomorrow was her eighteenth birthday, and she was looking forward to it. Her stepmother and stepsisters usually took off for town to shop on her birthday, leaving her alone to do her chores in peace. She knew that was their way of being cruel, but she welcomed it. Mia shook off her melancholy then hurried to grab the chicken feed and get outside, before her stepmother or stepsisters made their way down for breakfast. The morning was exuberantly cold for a day during the Harvest season. Usually during this time of year, the leaves on the trees in her Ba¡¯s farm were bursting with color, full of life and vigor. This season, the leaves fell early, lying in heaps on the ground. Mia sighed. The crops hadn¡¯t produced well since her father died, and it only got worse when her stepmother let go of most of the workers and underpaid the few who stayed. The rest of the needed work was passed on to Mia. She tried her best, but in spite of her hard work, many of the crops still didn¡¯t produce well or withered completely. She took a deep breath as soon as she got out of the manor: dropping her shoulders and standing a bit taller as she walked toward the chicken coop. She picked up the pace as she got closer to the coop, wondering why the noise coming from it was louder than normal. ¡°What in the world.¡± Mia said but was caught off guard as two roosters locked in battle flapped their wings ferociously, jumping in her path. She couldn¡¯t get out of the way fast enough as their battle erupted just in time to catch her in the leg, sending her toppling over. The bucket of feed went flying into the air and over the gate as the chickens got out of the coop, rushing to eat. ¡°You clumsy little twit!¡± Her stepmother screamed. Wham. ¡°What are we supposed to do for breakfast now?¡± She said, gesturing to the manor, ¡°All the chickens are gone.¡± Mia tried to hide her face but struggled against the ropes that were keeping her dangled in the air. She was tied to the large oak tree in front of the house, the same place where her Ba had collapsed and died years before. This was the spot her stepmother always brought her when she wanted to teach her a lesson. Mia didn¡¯t want to give her the satisfaction of hearing her scream, so she only allowed silent tears to stream down her face. Her stepmother screeched with rage as her stepsisters looked on in sick fascination. Wham! ¡°You know what,¡± Her stepmother said through her strikes, ¡°You¡¯re turning eighteen tomorrow, and I know just what to do with you.¡± With that, her stepmother unleashed a last crack of the whip for good measure, making her yelp against her will. With a satisfied grin, her stepmother left her dangling there, blood trickling down her back, until well past dusk. It wasn¡¯t until after her stepmother turned in for bed that Kitty dared to bring her down. ¡°You should get away from here, Miss, it¡¯s not a safe place.¡± Kitty said, untying the ropes from around her scarred wrists. ¡°You keep saying that, and I keep telling you the same thing.¡± Mia said, rubbing away some of the dried blood from her body. ¡°Sweet girl, your Ba is long gone. You need to go live your life. Away from here.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t Kitty, this is my home.¡± *** The next day, Mia rounded the corner, finally finished with her chores. It was her birthday, and like always, her step family were nowhere to be found. It was almost dusk, the sun casting a long shadow against the trees as she made her way back to the front of the house. She was still sore from the beating her stepmother gave her the day before. Brushing it out of her mind, Mia looked forward to finding a quiet corner and reading from her favorite book. She wanted to avoid any more lashes than necessary, thinking of another spot to cozy up to other than by the fireplace. Her peace was short-lived. A large carriage pulled up to the manor with two large men dressed in black leather armor and long black cloaks got out, heading towards the front door. They were tall, each had short, chestnut brown hair and carried a sword on their hip. One of them with blue eyes, turned in her direction, then frowned. ¡°Mia Bridgewater?¡± He asked, looking at her firmly. ¡°Yes?¡± She hesitantly replied. She had a sinking feeling as her stomach turned into knots. ¡°Mia Bridgewater, you have been enlisted into the Kings Guard, please gather one bag with your essential belongings and come with us.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh good, we¡¯re just in time!¡± Isabella jumped out of their carriage just as the two men nudged her into action by placing hands on their swords. ¡°Happy Birthday, Cinderella!¡± ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you Isabella, now go inside and wash for supper.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Isabella said with glee. Driscilla turned to give Mia a withering look before heading inside after Isabella. ¡°Here.¡± Her stepmother approached her slowly with a gleeful look dancing in her eyes. ¡°I already have your things...¡± Her stepmother held the book for her to take, but refused to let go when Mia grabbed it. ¡°This trash doesn¡¯t belong in my house. And neither do you.¡± Mia grasped the book close to her chest as her stepmother shoved it, then turned away as her stepmother went inside the manor and quickly slammed the door. She heard the familiar click of the door lock as the sinking feeling got worse. ¡°Let¡¯s go Miss.¡± The guard with brown eyes sternly guided her towards the carriage, nudging her forward begrudgingly. It was only then that she could bear to take one last look at her Ba¡¯s house, as she vowed to return to it someday. A Nightmare in Talis Bang. Bang. ¡°Mia? Mia, it¡¯s me¡­open the door.¡± Mia jolted upright. The clammy sting of sweat-soaked sheets clung to her like a second skin. Her breathing came in shallow gasps as fragments of her nightmare flickered like shadows in her mind. Her Ba¡¯s farm, the cruelty of her stepmother and sisters, all blurred into the darkness surrounding her. Bang. ¡°I know you hear me!¡± The pounding on the oak door reverberated in her skull. She winced rubbing her temples as she shuffled to the edge of the oversized bed. The guest room¡¯s grand opulence, with gold threaded drapes and tapestries, felt alien and suffocating. It was a far cry from the cold barracks of the Kings Guard and the even colder floor next to the fireplace on her Ba¡¯s farm, but that felt more familiar to her. ¡°Mia! Open the door before I break it down!¡± Grumbling under her breath, she unlocked and swung open the door open as her brown-haired, short statured friend Kate, bounded her way inside. Kate¡¯s olive-toned face flushed red with exasperation as her short cut hair bounced against the bottom of her neck. ¡°Sheesh you¡¯re slow.¡± Kate quipped, as she flopped on the bed. She was in full armor. They were tight leather ¡°So¡­what in the gods¡¯ name were you screaming about?¡± ¡°What screaming?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that. You were screaming loud enough to wake the dead.¡± Mia rubbed her forehead, her long silver hair falling in disheveled waves over her shoulders. ¡°It was just a dream.¡± Kate crossed her arms and gave her a leering side-eye. ¡°A dream? Like the dreams you absolutely refused to talk about in the guard tents? Or the ones that kept you up all night? ¡°I have absolutely no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Mia said as she bat her eyelashes at Kate. Kate narrowed her eyes, ¡°You know, your purple eyes are weird, but they don¡¯t scare me¡­I know you¡¯re not telling me something.¡± Mia shrugged. Kate was one of her tent mates and friend since she started her journey as a Kings Guard. Kate¡¯s short stature had no effect on her commanding presence whenever she entered a room. Her large brown eyes didn¡¯t miss anything, while Mia usually missed the obvious. The only exception was when she read. Getting lost in fictional worlds was the only place she felt like she knew what to expect. ¡°You know, I had to go through a lot of trouble to sneak you into this room. Captain Long would have my head if she knew.¡± Mia smirked. ¡°Well if you didn¡¯t constantly do that opposite of whatever she said, maybe she wouldn¡¯t be after you so much.¡± Kate waved her off. ¡°She¡¯s too demanding, every time I¡¯m on palace patrol, she always has me doing extra chores. One time she had me scrub the floors until I was blue in the face.¡± Kate huffed. ¡°I won¡¯t stand for it.¡± Mia laughed. ¡°By the way, have you seen my guard keys, I can¡¯t find them anywhere?¡± Kate asked, patting her body down searching for them. ¡°Umm¡­I don¡¯t think so.¡± Mia said, eyeing the keys she used to lock herself inside. ¡°Well, they must be around here somewhere or else that really will be my neck.¡± Mia winced as Kate laughed nervously. Mia promised to herself that she would slip them back to Kate before she left. Mia was good at pick pocketing, a trait she picked up while navigating around town when her stepmother sent her on errands without any money. She had to learn the hard way what that meant though. Constantly getting caught by merchants, before being sent home without the goods her stepmother wanted and beaten all over again. Her stepmother kept doing it though. Refusing to allow her back home unless she brought home the requested goods, demanding that she use her own money and that she would pay her back when she returned. Her stepmother never paid her, and the sneer on her face meant she knew it. Mia shook off the thought and looked around the lavishly decorated room. She needed water on her face. It was caked with dirt and grim as the sweat from her nightmares cooled on her skin. Mia grumbled as she eyed the water basin in the opposite corner of the overly large room. ¡°You know grumpy, I didn¡¯t stop you from running away last night just for you to cause such a fuss. I mean, honestly, Mia, get it together.¡± The memories of how she got there, a royal guestroom at the palace, started to return in spurts. Mia watched as shadows danced along the luxuriously decorated stone walls, then looked back to her friend who was staring at her. ¡°Why are you shivering anyway, there¡¯s a giant fireplace that I made sure to light before I left you last night.¡± ¡°Just cold I guess,¡± Mia mumbled as she swiped her hands down her face. ¡°Sure you are.¡± Kate tilted her head, then rolled her eyes. Mia gave her a flat look, then rubbed her eyes, still tired from the lack of sleep. She groaned, and started sludging towards the wash basin before two large bookshelves caught her eye. She wondered over to it and started to read some of the passages from books she had never heard of. ¡°You could stand to thank me for this room by the way.¡± Kate said, giving her a sly grin before making her way over to peruse the books herself. ¡°I mean really. We just barely went on holiday for the Festival of Kel after spending months on the road. You know those Kingdom of Naren¡¯s bastards are slippery.¡± ¡°And dangerous, don¡¯t forget that part. How many have we lost due to them.¡± Kate didn¡¯t respond, preferring to get caught up in whatever she was reading. ¡°Why were you trying to run away from the Queen¡¯s ball last night?¡± Kate asked, not bothering to look at her. Mia sighed. ¡°Water, I need water,¡± she murmured, her voice trailing off as she distractedly scanned the room. She made her way to the wash basin finally able to take in her surroundings. The heavy stone walls were adorned with rich tapestries and lavish decorations. Soft green velvety drapes hung loosely open along the canopy bed. Thick burgundy and gold chairs sat by the large fireplace. On the side of it were racks of gleaming golden short swords, hanging loosely on the walls. Nearby, a large oval mirror stood on a large wooden stand, making it almost impossible to hide from it. Her reflection stared back at her. Mia looked closely and frowned. She almost didn¡¯t recognize herself. Her athletic body was worn due to her training with the Kings Guard. Mia¡¯s long, silver hair fell limply down her back, as she pulled it back to look at her face. Her caramel brown skin was ashen showcasing pale purple eyes that looked like they hadn¡¯t slept in years. When she was a child, her Ba would tell her, her eyes sparkled like the brightest amethysts. After he died, that sparkle faded into a darkness she couldn¡¯t shake. ¡°Cheer up, you don¡¯t look that bad. I¡¯m sure Alex likes it. At least, that¡¯s what everyone keeps saying.¡± Kate gave her a sly grin. Mia rolled her eyes, before turning away from the mirror, making a beeline for her only hope for water on her face. ¡°Oh, come on Mia, you can¡¯t deny it. That man has always pined for you. Everyone in the Kings Guard knew it too. The long nights you two spent on patrol, the way your eyes met. It was sickening.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Mia sighed, looking down into the wash basin. Empty. Mia grumbled louder. ¡°I mean think about it. The charming prince falls in love with the¡­commoner.¡± Mia grabbed a pillow from the chair by the fireplace and threw it at her, hitting her square in back. ¡°Hey! What was that for?¡± Kate put the book down and started rubbing her back. Mia smiled and made her way over to the bookshelf, picking up another title she had never heard of before. Her mind couldn¡¯t focus on the book, instead she thought about Alex, then smiled as she thought about the ball. *** ¡°This ball is important to me, and I want you to be there.¡± Alex grabbed her into a tight hug that she resisted, offering a pat on the back in return. It was their last night of guard duty before they were able to take leave and join their families for the holiday season. She didn¡¯t care to return home though. Mia wasn¡¯t ready to face her stepmother or stepsisters for the abuse they put her through as a child. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°Fine, I promise. Now can we finish this patrol, I want to roam around the palace gardens.¡± Alex laughed then bowed to her, as they headed for the gardens outside. *** ¡°Oh, I love wizards!¡± Kate exclaimed, flipping through the pages of another book on the shelf. Mia laughed. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of most of these. Do you know where they¡¯re from?¡± Mia turned to Kate, who spent just as much time in the palace library as she did. ¡°I think the Guardians bring books back to the palace once they come back from whatever mission they¡¯re on.¡± ¡°The Guardians?¡± ¡°Yeah, you know, the moody people who train in that special section. It¡¯s near our training grounds just outside of the palace. Have you never noticed them before?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what special section you¡¯re talking about.¡± Kate shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s odd, you all act just alike, dark and broody.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not broody.¡± Kate gave her a flat look before she winced. ¡°Mia, you¡¯ve always been doom and gloom.¡± Mia groaned as she tried to repress another flashback. ¡°Do you remember when we would go to the palace library in our rare time off? I loved reading in there with you and Pip.¡± Kate smiled and put the book back. ¡°You and Pip as tent mates make the time in the Kings Guard better. Some of the others were too snobby.¡± Kate snorted. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what happens when you tell nobles and commoners to train together, the nobles still want to be treated like nobility when we are all fighting for this Kingdom just the same.¡± Kate slammed a book back into the shelf as the words left her lips. ¡°And you call me the broody one.¡± They both giggled. ¡°I¡¯m just glad Alex isn¡¯t like that.¡± Kate said half-heartedly. ¡°Alex is different,¡± Mia said absently. Kate gave her a cheshire grin before she waved it off. Kate laughed. ¡°I know what¡¯ll cheer you up,¡± Kate said, smiling, ¡°You up for a little one on one?¡± Mia smiled brightly. ¡°Bring it.¡± Kate¡¯s head nodded towards the short swords hanging from the wall by the fireplace. Mia grinned. ¡°Simple sparring this time Mia, you almost broke my arm with that brute strength of yours.¡± Mia winced. Her life working on a farm had made her unusually strong. Her chores were endless as she worked from dawn until dusk. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go easy on you, but don¡¯t complain to me if you can¡¯t keep up.¡± Kate huffed then lunged at Mia. Mia easily dodged, then jabbed at Kate who let out a cry from the hit on her torso. Mia had taken well to combat training, especially since her Ba started training her from a young age. Mia and Kate continued, their sparring almost second nature to her as her mind wondered back to Alex. She spent the better part of the last six years with him, Kate, and her other tentmate Pip. They were often sent on missions to fight small groups of soldiers during the war. After longer missions, they were assigned to palace patrol duty. Alex was just Alex to her, but he also happened to be the crowned prince of Talis. The thought of him being her prince was the last thing on her mind. He was her friend, the person who fought beside her in battle. Talis mandated all families were to be represented in the Kings Guard. The Royal family included. It was her eighteenth birthday, a day most celebrated coming into their own. Instead, her stepmother enlisted her to join the war effort against her will. She didn¡¯t know if she would ever make it back home. Since their family were low level nobles, and since she was technically the stepdaughter, her stepmother gave her name to the Royal palace as their family¡¯s representative. Mia didn¡¯t bother to resist. The next day the new recruits lined up in the grand courtyard. Mia was in front of one row of new recruits, as they formed lines across and down. She found herself standing next to a short brown haired girl, who ended up being Kate, and a tall girl with bushy bright red hair who later introduced herself as Pip. The Royal Guards before her were decked in full armor, each yelling at various recruits making them cower in fear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, their bark is worse than their bite.¡± The boy behind her whispered into her ear. She turned around slightly as he gave her the brightest smile she had ever seen. He was tall and gangly looking, with long stringy black hair pulled into a top bun. His olive skin was pale which only made his almond shaped brown eyes stand out more. Mia smiled back. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Alex.¡± *** ¡°Firecrackers!¡± Mia wailed, jolted out of her daydream. Kate cackled as she landed a solid hit on her shoulder. Mia rubbed it, not shocked by Kate¡¯s lash, but by how it instantly reminded her of her stepmother and the multiple times she hit her when she wasn¡¯t paying attention. Mia sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t start whining now, I won fair and square.¡± Kate said, giving a deep bow. Mia smirked before starting to pout. ¡°And don¡¯t bite your lip like that, I know what that means.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Mia said with a sly grin. ¡°The singing. I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± Mia smiled and started to sing. ¡°There once was a young wooden maiden, whose body was covered in ash¡­¡± she started, then trailed off as Kate lunged at her again. ¡°I swear to the gods Mia, that¡¯s the only song you bloody know.¡± Mia laughed as she replaced the short sword on the wall and made her way back to bed. ¡°Hey, is this your secret book?¡± Kate asked as she saw the book on the nightstand next to her. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Mia said as she slid the book off the nightstand and under her pillow. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s seen better days.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Mia smiled. Kate huffed. ¡°Will you read some then? I¡¯ve always wondered why is the cover a maiden made of wood?¡± Mia laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about the wooden girl who turns into the Cinderella.¡± Fireplaces, especially large ones, were always comforting to her. The flames licking the hearth, and the warmth it brought reminded her of her Ba. Her family fireplace was their spot. It was the warmest room in their manor. The fireplace was almost as large as the entire wall it was built into, sending waves of heat cascading across her skin. The fireplace was nestled inside their great room, offering space for her to learn hand to hand combat or sword forms from him. Her Ba used to be in the Kings Guard, but rarely spoke of it. The only glimpses she witnessed of his time serving was when he was teaching her what he knew. After she was done with her lessons, they would sit by the fireplace and read from her favorite book. *** Mia flinched as Kate placed a hand on her shoulder, snapping her back into reality. ¡°Sorry.¡± Mia took a deep breath, then flashed Kate a grin as she held her hands towards the fire, enjoying the warmth it gave. Her hands and feet felt like icicles. Kate had given her thin nightgown before she rushed her into the closest open guest room she could find. After she changed from her Kings Guard armor, she placed her book on her nightstand to read. The night before had been a whirlwind after Kate found her rushing away from the Queen¡¯s ball. She only had her Kings Guard armor to wear, lacking any formal attire. The minute she stepped foot inside the ballroom, she knew she didn¡¯t belong. She hadn¡¯t bothered to tell Kate or Pip about her invitation, only ruminating on whether she should go in the first place. Kate found her hurrying down the halls when she insisted she stay in the palace guest room instead of going back to their three-person barracks tent. It was Festival Season, where most of the Kings Guards went home to visit their families. Her and Kate were some of the few that stayed behind. Since Kate had palace patrol duty that night, Mia didn¡¯t begrudge the offer, deciding to try to talk to Alex about it first thing in the morning. The room was close to Alex, unlike their tent¡¯s which were miles outside of the palace walls. ¡°Do you want to talk about what happened last night?¡± Mia sighed. ¡°No¡­not really.¡± ¡°Good, me either, what I really want to talk about is us training with the Guardians soon.¡± ¡°Who are they again?¡± ¡°The Guar-di-ans. You know, the ones that look like they don¡¯t get out much and are broodier than you are.¡± Mia gave her a flat look as Kate rolled her eyes. ¡°They dress in a black one size fits all outfit that covers most of their face and always lurk in the shadows at the training grounds watching us for some reason.¡± Kate said as she folded her arms, ¡°Well, at least they do whenever they aren¡¯t training with those magic people.¡± ¡°What magic people?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I overheard someone say that they saw someone watching them train. And the person who saw them said they heard someone else saw them using magic powers.¡± Mia laughed. ¡°Kate quit with the gossip already, there¡¯s no such thing as magic.¡± Kate pouted. ¡°Yes, there is. I have credible sources.¡± Mia snorted. ¡°Sure Kate.¡± The dark gloomy forest was her only view from the guest room window. The ball was in full swing as she still heard guests laughing down the halls. She wanted to go back out and find Alex, to explain her absence, but fear gripped her. ¡°Try to get some rest, and hopefully you can talk to him before dawn.¡± Kate smiled, ¡°I figured at least one of us should live in luxury for the night though.¡± Mia beamed. ¡°I appreciate it, Kate.¡± ¡°Sure you do. Anyway, do what you need to do and then back to the bunks by dawn.¡± Kate paused and turned towards her as her hand reached the door handle. ¡°Before I go, I wanted to ask you something.¡± Mia looked at Kate, then tilted her head. ¡°What were you running from last night?¡± Mia stared at Kate wide-eyed, then yawned. ¡°I¡¯m too sleepy to remember, ask me later.¡± A sudden flash of light blinded her as a woman blinked into existence next to her bedside. ¡°Hello Mia, I¡¯m Lily, your godmother.¡± Mia and Kate screamed. Kidnapped The hairs on Mia¡¯s arms instantly stood up as her face grew hot. She instinctively crouched into a combat stance, wishing she had hung onto the decorative sword for a little longer. Kate pulled her guard sword from its sheath, holding the hilt close to her face with the blade pointed up. ¡°Stop right there, who are you?¡± ¡°Whoa, Whoa. No need for any of that, I just wanted to pop in for a chat.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mia asked staring at the tall dark-haired woman. Lily stood almost a head taller than her. Her dark olive complexion contrasted with her soft amber eyes that had flickers of gold in them. Her face looked soft, but worn, as her long brown hair flowed down white robes that seemed to emit its own light. ¡°I must be dreaming¡­ouch Kate, that hurt.¡± Kate pinched her while glaring at her godmother. ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re not dreaming.¡± She gave Kate a flat look before staring back at Lily. ¡°How did you even do that?¡± Mia asked as she cautiously approached her. ¡°Magic,¡± Lily replied widening her grin and wiggling her fingers. Kate rolled her eyes. A resounding boom echoed around the room like thunder erupting inside. Mia threw her hands over her ears and stared wide-eyed at Lily and Kate, before another boom rang out and the sounds of screaming poured in from the hallway. *** Mia and Kate locked eyes before Mia rushed to the door, her mouth dropping open as she took in the sight of the hallway. Nobles and servants alike dashed about the hallways that were pure chaos. The stone walls broke off in chunks, crashing to the floor in waves. The screams became deafening. Some, unable to avoid the stone blocks as they crushed their bodies underneath. Mia quickly glanced through the nearby, shattered window as billowing black clouds ripped into the sky. The flames were coming from the far end of the palace. Smoke started to fill the hallways, as stone slabs fell mercilessly on anyone nearby. Mia started to cough in spasms as the smoke invaded her lungs. Her chest heaved as she ran back into the guestroom, spotting Kate running towards her. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the others who were on patrol around here, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Kate sprinted down an adjacent corridor and disappeared into the chaos in the hallway. ¡°We need to get out of here.¡± Lily said, turning to Mia. ¡°I am a Kings Guard, it is my duty to protect this palace and the people inside of it.¡± Lily moved towards Mia, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Mia, you don¡¯t understand. I need to get you out of here.¡± Mia tensed at Lily¡¯s touch, but narrowed her eyes. ¡°It is my duty.¡± Mia hurriedly dressed in her Kings Guard armor as she said a silent thanks for having it in the first place. The panic came soon after she realized her short sword was still in the armory. She put it there before the ball as she cursed herself. She never left her weapon behind, but it was not allowed inside the ballroom. Mia huffed as she rushed to grab one of the decorative short swords from the wall. A weapon was better than none. Mia fastened her cloak around her neck before turning to look at Lily. Lily¡¯s eyes locked directly into hers. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t explain it right now, but I need you to trust me. I need to get you as far away from here as possible.¡± Mia shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t leave Lily, I am honor bound.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to¡­¡± Lily started, but it was too late, she ran out of the door and into the now smoke-filled hallway littered with dead. *** The large stones were immovable on top of those who were not fast enough to avoid them. Another explosion sent a stone statue crashing to the floor right next to her. Mia quickly avoided it, as she looked around for more guards or anyone on palace patrol duty. No one was left around her. Either the patrons and guards made it out, or they lay dead on the floor around her. ¡°Mia, wait, take this.¡± Lily handed her a small brown pouch, not much bigger than the palm of her hand. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Mia tucked the pouch away in her cloak. ¡°Something I¡¯d like for you to hold on to, I mean it is your birthday tomorrow.¡± ¡°We need to get go! There are people dying all over the place. The debris everywhere and I believe the main forces are in the throne room.¡± Kate¡¯s raspy voice came from behind. She turned to look at Kate, her Kings Guard armor full of dirt and holes. ¡°Did you seriously grab the decorative sword.¡± Kate asked her with a mock frown. ¡°How do you know that my birthday is tomorrow?¡± Mia turned towards Lily who was scanning down the nearby corridor. Lily didn¡¯t respond as Kate whispered in her ear. ¡°Brace yourself. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡± More screams rang out as explosions reverberated around them, shattering more stone from the walls. Mia looked at Kate as they nodded in unison. Mia turned to face Lily whose eyes seemed to be staring off into the distance. ¡°Lily?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving Mia.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who you really are and now is not the time. I need you to get as far away from the palace as possible.¡± ¡°I know about the war, Mia. My guild sent me here to provide aid.¡± Lily sighed before looking between her and Kate. ¡°Guild? What guild? I thought guilds were banished after the uprising.¡± Kate hissed. Lily shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for explanations, people are dying.¡± Mia looked at Kate who shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t need any more casualties. We don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re up against.¡± Mia took a deep breath before finally settling herself. ¡°Fine Lily, if you¡¯re here to help, I won¡¯t say no, but if you get in the way I won¡¯t be able to help.¡± Mia looked at Lily, who gave her a bright smile in return. ¡°You have my word.¡± ¡°Nope, uh-uh, Mia. We have no idea what kind of skills she has, let alone to face anything like this.¡± ¡°I know Kate, but we might need all the help we can get.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need the help, Mia. We are Kings Guards.¡± ¡°And, you know I¡¯m with you.¡± Mia smiled as she pounded her chest twice with her right fist. Kate huffed and did the same in return. ¡°Till Kingdom Come?¡± ¡°Till Kingdom Come.¡± Mia looked between Kate and Lily, then whispered, ¡°I know a short cut.¡± They ran down what once was a grand hallway, filled with pictures of the royal linage, now unrecognizable as the walls crumbled around them. Mia side stepped over severed body parts. She grit her teeth, clenching onto the short sword as she recognized the dead around her. *** The explosions slowed down, but not enough for the debris to stop falling like rain. Mia didn¡¯t stop though. As they neared the last corridor before the royal chambers, she heard the clanking of steel against steel that sent tingles down her spine. The Kings Guard were fighting hard. ¡°Wait¡± Lily said, her body suddenly rigid as she produced a dagger from her waist. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Where did you get that?¡± Kate asked, as Lily stopped, holding one hand in front of her and one hand behind her, crouching into a low stance. ¡°Shhh,¡± Lily said, closing her eyes. A large figure emerged from the shadows in front of them, wearing large dark leather armor and a cloak that swayed as it moved. The figure removed his hood revealing a severely battle scarred face with an eye patch over his left eye. He held a long, thick sword in one hand as he slowly approached them. The man looked directly at Lily. ¡°You die here, Akasha¡­and your little friends too,¡± he said in a low hyena like cackle. Lily acted fast, her dagger a blur as she lunged at the man, who somehow deftly evaded her attack. The man blocked the dagger strike with his sword at dazzling speed. The blocking strike sent Lily¡¯s dagger flying, hitting a nearby wall, and tinkering to the floor. Lily, with acrobatics that Mia had never seen before, flipped her way over to her dagger and picked it up. She turned her body into what Mia assumed was a battle stance, and lunged at the man again, this time her attack hit him in the chest with a slice that sent blood spattering on the floor. Lily repositioned herself and lunged with her dagger again. This time, he was prepared and blocked her attack with an ear-piercing screech. The clanks of their swords sent sparks into the air. Mia glanced at Kate before running and slicing the man in his side as he lifted his sword in the air to come down on Lily¡¯s head. He recoiled, as Lily struck him again in the chest with her dagger. The man fell to his knees as Kate gave him the finishing blow, slicing off his head and sending his body tumbling backwards. ¡°I think I hear the worst of it coming from the throne room.¡± ¡°Wait¡­that was the last place I saw Alex last night. Before I left the ball. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d had left by now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he did.¡± Mia looked at Kate as they both sucked in their breath and ran for the throne room. *** The grand hallway was long, the throne room being at the very end of it. Mia sprinted, her legs not moving fast enough as more dead lay in heaps. She finally made it to the last hallway leading to the throne room. Her eyes grew wide as Kings Guards were locked in battles down the corridor. Each fighting ferociously against mysterious hooded invaders. The invaders as well trained as the Kings Guard. ¡°There is war brewing, much worse than the one against Naren. My guild is one that was trying to stop this war, but I¡¯m afraid we might be too late." Lily whispered to them before they could run forward. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mia asked turning towards Lily. ¡°Is that why that man called you an Akasha? This is an attack from your people.¡± Kate sneered. ¡°Yes and No, but I can¡¯t explain any further than that right now.¡± ¡°No Lily, we need to know what we¡¯re up against. Does this have something to do with your magic?¡± Mia turned sharply towards Lily who wouldn¡¯t meet her gaze. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know for sure.¡± ¡°You have a lot of explaining to do.¡± Kate scolded before turning her attention towards the corridor, watching as more invaders filled the hallway. Lily gave her a faint nod before looking at the battles erupting before them. Mia, Kate, and Lily got to work, each one handling the invaders as they intercepted their fights with the Kings Guards. After the invaders fell one by one, the Kings Guards were freed, running to join the battle inside the throne room. The trio finished the rest of the invaders in the hallway, running to join the rest of the Kings Guards until they made it to the wide-open doors of the throne room, then paused. The room was filled to the brim with Kings Guards as cloaked figures fought against them around the room. The Kings Guards were outnumbered three to one. Flames licked the walls of the throne room near the door that led to the gardens. Screams of battle rang through the air like the crashing of tides. The doors to the gardens were open as the trees burned to hollow husks outside. The clanging of steel made it even more deafening as each side fought hard against the other. Dead from both sides made the floor almost invisible. Each held one side of the throne room, with battles erupting near the middle. Both had archers in the back sending flurries of arrows. A blur of a red cape made her snap her head and squint in that direction until she finally saw him. Alex was fiercely fighting against two men, their long swords shooting off bright sparks of light. Alex was a force to be reckoned with. He was as fast as the wind and just as strong. When Mia could, she would watch him train, his agility and sword skills unmatched from what she could tell. The two men in front of Alex attacked simultaneously. Alex dodged them, moving his body to the side and using his long sword to block their attacks. Alex retaliated. He pummeled one of the invaders with his hilt, causing the man to fly backwards and onto the floor, no longer moving. The other man wailed in fury and rushed at Alex, who, easily dodged the hit. Alex countered and sliced upwards, sending the other flying backwards and immobile as well. Mia rushed forward. Not really thinking about it, ¡°Alex!¡± She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her throat still ripping in pain from the backlash of the fire. Alex turned and finally saw her. ¡°Mia!¡± He sprinted across the room, avoiding the many dead bodies on the floor. He swung his sword, evading attacks against him. She bolted to him, Kate quickly following behind. Her legs moved faster than she thought possible, but before she could make it to him, thick dark shadows permeated the room. Everyone engulfed in the shadows froze in place, as if forced not to move. The shadows took an unnatural shape and started to engulf more than half of the throne room. Kate caught up to her before they were immobilized, and pulled Mia to the side of a nearby statue. Kate pointed two fingers towards her eyes, then pointed one finger at the mysterious shadow. Two figures walked out of the shadows; their faces covered with hoods. ¡°Now this is what I call a party.¡± A light tinkling voice came from one of the hooded figures, her voice dripping with amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t be daft, we¡¯re here for only one thing.¡± Her eyes grew wide as they pulled back their hoods, revealing faces so familiar, she could describe them in her sleep. ¡°Those are my stepsisters,¡± Mia¡¯s heart started to beat so fast, she couldn¡¯t control it. Her throat felt as if something were strangling her as she looked directly at Kate. How in the world did they have magic? She thought frantically to herself as she searched her memory for answers. ¡°Is that magic? You never said anything about them having magic.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know! My stepmother kept them away from me the majority of the time. Any other time with them was pure torture. I want answers just as much as you do.¡± ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Kate asked, looking at her incredulously before turning around. ¡°Wait¡­where¡¯s Lily?¡± *** ¡°You two wait right there.¡± Lily¡¯s voice boomed from the other side of the room. Lily walked with her dagger hanging by her side, her eyes fixated on the pair. Blood stained her clothes and face as she walked towards them. The two turned towards her, Isabella clapping as Lily stepped closer, closing their gap. ¡°Oh look, we have a special guest!¡± Isbella turned to Driscilla who scoffed. ¡°What is she doing here?¡± Driscilla replied coldly. Isabella shrugged her shoulders, throwing her hands in the air. ¡°Who cares, looks like this is going to be fun after all.¡± Water suddenly flew out of the ground like a whip and shot towards Lily at alarming speed. Lily¡¯s body glowed white as she absorbed the water with her free hand, then threw a blast of light at Isabella, causing her to jump and quickly dodge out of the way. Driscilla kneeled behind their battle, drawing something on the floor with a bright green glowing gem. Lily maintained her footing as Isabella assaulted her with more water whips, then dashed forward towards Isabella, using her dagger to slice her in the arm. Isabella fumed and threw a water ball at Lily. Lily turned and absorbed the water attack again. Isabella roared. The shadows freezing effect seemed to have worn off as she heard a battle worn familiar voice. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, attack!¡± Alex bellowed, turning his attention towards Isabella and Driscilla. The rest of the battle resumed. Mia¡¯s shock wore off as invaders took the opportunity to attack the guards again. The Kings Guard rallied with the few they had remaining. Grouping together so that the invaders couldn¡¯t pick them off one by one. Mia grabbed her decorative short sword before Kate grabbed her by the arm, pushing her to the side while screaming look out. A sudden figure came from her blindside. Mia saw it at the last second as Kate blocked the strike with her short sword. ¡°Go help the others! I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Kate yelled as she struggled against the brute force of the attacker. Mia looked at Kate as she gained control, then nodded before running towards the Kings Guards who were fighting in a last line formation. They were outnumbered, their line of fighters breaking down by the second. Water erupted from Isabella¡¯s hands, forming into long ice tentacles that shot out spikes of ice as the tentacles clashed against the floor. The tentacles lashed at Lily as she barely evaded the fast moving whips. Lily used incredible agility to narrowly escape the ice debris that followed. Lily ran as Isabella chased her, Lily being a touch quicker. Lily flung herself to spin around a giant pillar, shooting a light blast that completely missed as Isabella gracefully dodged, sending back water whips of her own. One finally landed on Lily, sending her flying backwards and into a nearby wall. She huffed, before narrowly dodging the next whip attack. ¡°Fine. Gloves are off.¡± Lily panted as Isabella screeched with delight. Lily turned to face Isabella while she approached with an unsuppressed grin. Lily¡¯s body started to glow a bright white, as she started to chant something unfamiliar. A bright ball of light that rivaled the sun appeared in the air above them, expanding as Lily glowed brighter. ¡°Let¡¯s get what we came for and get out of here, Mother is going to be furious.¡± Driscilla called out. Mia watched the fight in pieces as she fought invader after invader, closing the gap between her and Alex. He was fighting hard, when he was suddenly engulfed in sickly green glowing ropes that were tethered to whatever Driscilla had drawn on the ground. His entire body started to spasm as the ropes wrapped tightly around his body, making him scream in pain. The magical rope coiled around him like a snake, binding his entire body as he fell face first onto the ground. Alex struggled to break free, screaming, as the ropes started to drag him towards Driscilla and the green glowing circle on the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t let Alex make it to that ritual circle! You have to disrupt it before he gets to the middle.¡± Lily shouted before Isabella sent out another whip, barely missing Lily, causing her to flip out of the way. ¡°How!¡± Mia yelled as she ran after the dark ropes that were dragging Alex back to their point of origin. The sigils on the floor were an intricate pattern. It glowed a sickly green light with a long rope jutting from the center and wrapping around Alex¡¯s body, pulling him into it. Mia ran towards Alex, as Isabella landed another solid hit on Lily, sending her flying into a nearby pillar. Mia stopped dead in her tracks as a water blast shot barely missed her face. ¡°By the way, hello dear sister.¡± Isabella¡¯s voice seemed to reverberate directly into her eardrum. ¡°Don¡¯t think we didn¡¯t see you cowering in fear over there, Cinderella. You¡¯re just, once again, unimportant, and we have to go.¡± Isabella shot another water blast at her, this one hitting her directly in the chest, making her fly backwards and into a wall. She slumped as the room started to darken around her. Driscilla smirked as Isabella waved as they finally got Alex into the middle of the ritual circle and all three of them vanished into a dark green light. ¡°Alex! Alex!!¡± Mia yelled with all her might, but it was futile, her body wouldn¡¯t move. The Kings Guards were all dead, and the remaining invaders turned their attention towards Lily, Mia, and Kate. Kate, who had managed to defeat her previous attacker, was at her side helping her to her feet. Mia didn¡¯t believe she had legs any longer, at least none that she could feel anyway. ¡°Watch out!¡± Lily yelled as another assailant lunged at them. He brandished a short sword, his speed almost overtaking them. Lily pushed Mia and Kate out of the way, and used her sword to block the attack, almost losing her footing. Mia wanted to help but her mind was too foggy. More attackers yelled and turned their way. Suddenly, a white light enveloped around her, then everything went black. The First Quest Mia blinked awake on a hard, dark surface. Her body felt like lead as she sat up and groaned. The ground was rough, as the familiar smell of burning ember invaded her nostrils. A fire burned next to her, the warmth calming her as she wiped the sweat dripping from her forehead. ¡°It was just a dream.¡± She breathed as she threw her hands over her face. ¡°Unfortunately, not.¡± Mia turned to see Lily on the other side of the fire, staring into it as if lost in a dream herself. Kate lay next to her, her body still motionless. Mia huffed, trying to process what she knew. Isabella and Driscilla somehow had magic. How? ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking and to answer some of those questions, I need to tell you a story.¡± The glow emitting from the fire was dim but illuminated the area enough for her to see the walls of a cave. She stared at Lily through the flames, picking her next words carefully. ¡°Lily, my palace was invaded and many of my friends are dead. My prince was kidnapped by my stepsisters who somehow have magical powers. Why doesn¡¯t any of that seem surprising to you and I need something better than just a story.¡± Lily sighed then looked at her, the flames reflecting her golden iris¡¯. ¡°How do you know Isabella and Driscilla?¡± Mia glared at Lily, a presumed godmother she had only just met. She didn¡¯t know how long she¡¯d been out after the fight with her stepsisters and the invaders. The last thing she remembered was Alex vanishing. ¡°That¡¯s complicated.¡± Lily said, avoiding her eyes as she stared back into the fire. ¡°No.¡± Mia said, shaking her head. ¡°Not good enough.¡± Lily sighed again, coming over and sitting next to her. Lily looked directly into her eyes, as if trying to talk to her soul. ¡°Do you want the short version or the long version?¡± ¡°I want whatever version helps me understand this nonsense.¡± Lily sucked in her breath, then closed her eyes briefly, as if trying to remember an old story. ¡°Ok¡­here¡¯s the best version I can come up with. There is a war brewing between the magical guilds and the kingdoms of this world. My guild and three others are trying to stop the others, but we don¡¯t have the power to do so. If they succeed in their plans, it will be the end of the world as we know it. They plan to wipe out all humans. They do not believe that humans should co-exist with Akasha.¡± Lily sighed. ¡°You have power locked inside of you that I believe could change the tide of this war.¡± Mia stared at Lily unsure if she were still sleeping. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Lily closed her eyes, then took a deep breath. Her voice was soft as she carefully spoke her next words. ¡°Your mother was my twin sister. Her, and I were both born Akasha¡­and so were you. For whatever her reasons, your mother sealed away your magic, I know because I was there.¡± ¡°And why hasn¡¯t any of this mysteriously powerful magic unlocked itself by now?¡± ¡°Your mother was also very powerful.¡± Mia huffed. ¡°I¡¯m dreaming, I must be dreaming¡­ouch Kate¡­Kate!¡± Mia watched Kate rub her eyes as she sat next to her by the fire. Kate¡¯s brown eyes were hollow as the weight of what happened to their kingdom hit them all over again. They pounded their chest twice in salute, then sat in silence. ¡°I know this is a lot to take in--¡± Lily said looking between the two of them. ¡°I need to think.¡± Mia stood up and started pacing, failing miserably at calming herself down. ¡°What¡¯s a lot to take in?¡± Kate asked before standing, then letting out a sharp groan. Mia sighed. ¡°What would you do if you knew you had magical power?¡± ¡°Like honest to gods magical power?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Probably use it to take over the world. Why do you ask.¡± Mia smirked, then looked down at the floor fiddling with grime on her fingers. ¡°Because I¡¯m not sure what to do with it.¡± Kate blinked ¡°Are you mad? Do you know what I would do if I suddenly had vast cosmic power.¡± ¡°Try to take over the world?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Kate grinned. Mia¡¯s smile faded as a flood of memories washed over her. She never heard her father say anything about his mother having a sister, let alone a twin. ¡°What happened to you after my father died?¡± Lily stared at the ground for a long moment before she spoke. ¡°I was separated from you and your mother, shortly after she had you. I had my mission, and she had hers. After she died, your father took off and I couldn¡¯t find you again, until now.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°An old letter I found from your father. He spoke about your farm and how well you were doing. I decided to go looking for you before your twenty-fifth birthday. I didn¡¯t realize he had remarried or passed away. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Mia sighed before flopping back on the ground and staring into the fire, wanting to get lost in its warmth again. ¡°I came here on a selfish request. I wish to unlock your magic and ask you to help our cause to prevent this war.¡± ¡°How do you even know what I¡¯m capable of?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your eyes¡± ¡°My eyes?¡± ¡°Each Akasha¡¯s eyes reflect the color of their natural element. Light, dark, air, water, earth, and fire. There are variances in the eye color but generally, light users will have golden eyes, dark users will have black eyes and I¡¯m sure you can guess the rest.¡± ¡°But my eyes are purple, that doesn¡¯t fall in line with anything you just said.¡± ¡°I know, which is why I believe you hold a special power.¡± Lily walked close to her, sitting down and staring deeply into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard legends of Akasha with purple eyes, and they were some of the most powerful. I¡¯m not saying that has to be you, but I want to give you all the options you have available.¡± ¡°I¡ªOuch Kate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still not dreaming.¡± Kate said before leaning back on her elbows. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be on my side.¡± Mia frowned. ¡°I am on your side¡­I just have a lot of questions.¡± Mia picked at the dirt on the ground, her mind racing as she thought about what Lily was telling her. Her Kingdom and her people were in trouble by some unknown magical force¡­and she had the power to stop it. Mia sighed. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me about Isabella and Driscilla. Or even how they have magic. And now that I know it¡¯s genetic, probably my stepmother as well.¡± Lily sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they were your stepsisters, but I do know they belong to the Guild of Oya. One of the magical guilds we are fighting against. Those two are trouble.¡± Mia shook her head, not wanting to believe a word of it. Lily exhaled. ¡°There is something else you need to know. Talis is the only place in this world that has a permanent dungeon ruled by a human. The King is a Dungeon Master, a title passed down through lineage. Many of the guilds believe that a human should not have the power of a dungeon master, but that dungeon key has been passed down for generations. I believe the Guild of Oya wants to take that dungeon for themselves by killing the king and taking the dungeon key. But a dungeon master is invincible unless you kill them in their dungeon.¡± ¡°That sounds terrifying, but what can I do to stop that?¡± ¡°Everything. Dungeon farming is how we survive as Akasha. The problem is many kingdoms have trained warriors to farm in the unclaimed dungeons as well. Instead of receiving magical items, they get that in gold. This has led to many kingdoms going to war. My belief is that you can stop the war entirely and save the human race.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°That sounds pretty heavy.¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s why Alex was taken, to lure the king into the dungeon?¡± Kate asked looking firmly at Lily. Lily sighed. ¡°If the King is lured into the dungeon and killed, the victor gets the key to the dungeon. The Dungeon Master is able to create any type of monsters and let them loose on the human world.¡± Mia looked sharply at Kate, who shrugged, her eyes just as wide. They both started pacing, each murmuring to themselves. Mia shook the thoughts out of her head. ¡°Why aren¡¯t there loose monsters from the temporary dungeons then?¡± She asked, trying to grasp what Lily was saying. ¡°The monsters lasts only as long as the temporary dungeon exists. Once the magic goes back into the ether, so does everything else that wasn¡¯t looted. That¡¯s why we try to kill whatever is in there and loot them fast.¡± Lily shrugged as she stood next to Mia and Kate. Mia began to pace again, looking over at Kate who looked just as exasperated. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying, if I actually want to save Alex, I need to go to this dungeon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying, I think you should embrace your full power.¡± ¡°It seems our goals are aligned." Kate shrugged. ¡°We want to save our Kingdom and Mia might be our best chance at doing that. I say, it doesn¡¯t hurt to try.¡± Mia didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. Kate¡¯s words sending her down another rabbit hole of memories that flashed back to Alex. Lily shook her head. ¡°I went looking for you because I know it¡¯s almost your twenty-fifth birthday, where your powers will be forever sealed. I wanted you to have the choice of removing the seal and seeing who you could possibly become. I, also, want you to be able to protect yourself from what I think is to come.¡± Mia sighed, then her face grew hard as she looked at Lily. ¡°How do we do this?¡± *** ¡°Normally, there is a whole ritual on your eighteenth birthday, but unfortunately, we don¡¯t have time for that. It¡¯s almost daybreak and I want to start heading towards my guild as soon as possible. The guild should help us so we can figure out where Isabella and Driscilla took Alex. It¡¯s in Sagev, which is a few weeks journey from here. I say we head towards Ogden to get supplies before we trek the rest of the way.¡± ¡°You think they would help?¡± ¡°Yes, my guild is determined to stop this war.¡± ¡°And which guild is that again?¡± ¡°The Guild of Krat.¡± Lily said as her body started to emit a faint white glow. Lily had a milky white glowing stone in her hand as she started to draw a large circle on the floor. The circle started to glow as she drew elaborate sigils into it, each symbol looking more alien than the last. Mia didn¡¯t recognize any of the symbols but couldn¡¯t help staring in awe as Lily finished by drawing another circle at the center of the design. A bright white light flashed from the circle, making Mia wince from the sheer intensity. ¡°Are you ready to do this? How do we even know she¡¯s telling the truth?¡± Kate whispered to her as Lily plucked three more white crystals from seemed like thin air. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Mia shrugged as Lily placed the crystals inside of the inner circle. ¡°What if it¡¯s a big mistake?¡± ¡°Oh good, we¡¯re on the same page.¡± Kate said as Lily stood up and brushed herself off. ¡°Ok it¡¯s ready, you have to step into it before I release the magic.¡± Mia took a long look at Kate who shrugged and nodded towards the glowing circle. Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked and stood in the middle of it. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°No, not really.¡± Lily smiled, then her eyes flashed a bright white. ¡°Samat.¡± Mia¡¯s body felt like lava was being poured over her skin as the circle around her lit up. She screamed in pain, but no sound came out of her. Her body started to glow a vibrant purple as her senses started to dim rapidly. The lack of feeling in her body left her mind running ramped. Memories of her past flooded into her as the pain became worse. She thought she heard Kate shout to her, but she couldn¡¯t hear or see anything past the harsh memories of her past, each more painful than the last. Mia finally collapsed to the floor and the darkness took over.
Hello, Mia Bridgewater. I am your Akasha Vision. Your Akasha status page has been created based on inherent and potential ability. Would you like to view your status page? Yes/no?
A deep male voice, akin to something like a posh butler, spoke directly into her mind. Her breath was coming in heaves as she tried to regain her vision. The white screen in front of her was blocked, as she blinked. The words remained clear, as if she were reading a book. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything out loud, Mia, all you have to do is give a mental command.¡± Mia blinked again and the page darted into the corner of her vision, as Lily¡¯s beaming smile came into focus. Kate was right behind Lily, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. Mia looked between the two of them before mentally selecting yes. The white screen flourished into her view as her status page completely blocked her ability to see anything else.
Akasha Vision: Akasha Status Page. Name: Mia Bridgewater Race: Akasha Element: Spirit Core Level: 1 ¨C 0/500 exp to next level. Health: 100/100 HPR: 5 hp/s Jin: 100/100 JRR: 5 jn/s Power Level: Legendary Spells unlocked: 1/7 Attributes: Strength: 10 Dexterity: 12 Intelligence:15 Wisdom: 10 Constitution: 10 Charisma: 15 Luck: 10 Spells: Fireball ¨C Novice -Level 1 Skills: Combat Specialist ¨C Novice ¨C Level 3 Sleight of Hand ¨C Novice ¨C Level 1 Songbird ¨C Novice ¨C Level 1 Abilities: Linguist ¨C Language Translator Examine ¨C Examine magical sentient or non-sentient objects or creatures Skill Master ¨C Learn an unlimited number of skills
The white screen disappeared as the dim light of the cave came back into focus. ¡°Can I ask you something? Is your element spirit?¡± Lily asked hesitantly as she twittered her fingers. ¡°I think so.¡± Mia replied, unsure of what she just read. ¡°I knew it!¡± Lily jumped, then grabbed both of Mia¡¯s hands into hers. The touch made Mia flinch out of instinct. ¡°What¡¯s so special about a spirit element¡± Kate asked, looking between the two of them. ¡°There aren¡¯t any. At least not that I know of. The spirit element hasn¡¯t been seen in a long time.¡± ¡°What? Why not?¡± Lily shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine.¡± Mia looked at Kate who still looked bewildered. ¡°Your Akasha Vision will guide you from here on out. Think of it as a subconscious of sorts.¡± ¡°There is so much I don¡¯t understand. How do I even cast? And what are skills and abilities?¡± ¡°Wait¡­you already have skills and abilities?¡± ¡°How does it feel?¡± Kate asked looking at her in bemusement. ¡°How does what feel?¡± ¡°Magic?¡± Kate asked a mischievous look on her face. ¡°It feels like someone boiled me alive then turned me into a magical popsicle. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°See what I mean¡­broody.¡± Mia huffed as Lily coughed into a fist. ¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t come off as rude, but what¡¯s your power level? ¡± ¡°Legendary.¡± Lily went wide-eyed and stared at her. ¡°What?¡± Mia looked at Kate who gave her a puzzled look? Lily shook her head and mumbled to herself. Mia looked at Kate who shrugged. ¡°Akasha are usually born with a rare power level, some ultra rare, and a rare few, epic, but I don¡¯t think I have heard of a legendary power level.¡± ¡°What is a power level anyway?¡± ¡°For starters, it amplifies your spell damage. So, the damage you deal is increased based on your power level. It allows you access to legendary spells too, or so I¡¯ve heard.¡± Lily shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s almost daybreak, we should get some rest before we head out.¡± ¡°How can you even tell the time? We¡¯re in the middle of a dark cave with only a small fire to see my extraordinarily beautiful face.¡± Kate huffed. Mia laughed. Kate rolled her eyes and grumbled. ¡°There is so much to talk about, but I¡¯m afraid now is not the time.¡± Lily said as she looked from Kate to Mia. ¡°This area isn¡¯t safe anymore after what happened at the palace. Our best chance is to get to Sagev where the closest guild house is located. I think it¡¯s the best way we have at finding Alex and answers.¡±
Akasha Vision Alert: New Quest ¨C Save the Kingdom I. Quest level: Legendary Your instinctive nature wants to save your kingdom from harm, this includes the crowned prince of Talis. Reward: Unknown Exp: Unknown Accept: Yes/no?
¡°What¡¯s a quest?¡± ¡°You have a quest already?¡± ¡°I just got a notification for one.¡± Lily stared at her before shaking her head. ¡°What¡¯s your quest?¡± ¡°Save the Kingdom I.¡± ¡°A chain quest? How is that even possible?¡± ¡°How should I know?¡± Lily sighed. ¡°To answer your first question, Mia¡­casting takes a word or words of power depending on the spell level. It should be instinctive like a mental thought.¡± Mia thought about it for a moment before she outstretched her hand. Es Ruah A fireball shot across the cavern, a loud boom echoing as it hit the rocky wall. Only a large scorch mark remained as the flames sizzled to ash. ¡°That could have hit me!¡± Kate yelled, slowly getting up after quickly dropping to the floor. ¡°I didn¡¯t even cast it your direction!¡± ¡°I still felt it! Do your magic thing somewhere else.¡± ¡°Actually, please don¡¯t cast that anywhere close to here. Not at least until you¡¯re able to control it a little better.¡± Lily said as she stared at Mia wide-eyed. Mia grinned. Lily looked at her quizzically. ¡°After we get to the guild, I want to train you properly.¡± Lily took a deep breath. ¡°I will teach you what I can, but there is an Akasha training school can hone your skills. You have no idea of the power that you hold.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a school for this?¡± Lily laughed. ¡°There are several schools for Akasha. At least one in each Kingdom. Most attend after their eighteenth birthday.¡± Lily stepped towards her, ¡°I want you to go at some point, but I know the timing right now isn¡¯t the best.¡± Lily paused before adding, ¡°I also have a friend I want you to meet.¡± Mia smiled. ¡°Maybe, some day.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re nice to her and broody with me¡­got it.¡± Mia stuck her tongue out at Kate who chased her around the fire. ¡°We need to settle in for a bit and get some rest. We¡¯re in for a long journey.¡± ¡°Kate, are you sure you want to come with us?¡± Mia turned to her friend who was good at putting on a brave front. ¡°Of course, I am. Til Kingdom Come right?¡± Mia beamed and saluted. ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Lily asked as she found a comfortable position next to the fire. ¡°It means while we¡¯re out on the battlefield, we¡¯re with each other until we see our Kingdom again.¡± Kate said, as she curled up in a ball close to Lily. Lily smiled and closed her eyes. Mia put the fire out and watched them as they fell into deep sleeps. Obviously by their loud snores. Mia smiled and ventured to the front of the cave. Clouds blocked the stars and moon as an eerie darkness expounded around her, one that comes just before daybreak. The forest surrounding the cave was thick with trees making it almost impossible to see far ahead. She checked to make sure no one was around before words of power flowed out of her like a second language. A fireball erupted from her outstretched hand, igniting a small collection of fallen leaves. She quickly ran to stomp them out before they could catch anything else on fire. ¡°That was close.¡± She thought, silently reminding herself that fire around things that catch on fire quickly is bad. Then she grinned from ear to ear. ¡°This magic thing may work out after all,¡± Lost The cave was buried in a remote area in the forest. Small foot paths led all around, but none that looked well-traveled. A light rain filled the early morning sky as her and Kate trudged behind Lily. Mia shivered as she wrapped her cloak around her, the wind picking up as the rain stopped tapping into her face. The leaves slopped under her feet making swishing noises as the trio marched deeper into the woods. Mia sighed. They hadn¡¯t encountered anyone since they set off. Most of the animals in the forest had left traces of themselves, but remained in hiding. The trees canopy gave little room for light as they loomed tall in the air. Since Lily was in front and Kate was pulling rear duty, she decided to use the time to go over her abilities and skills again. She thought she understood why she already had hand to hand combat skills, her Ba made sure she trained in that area. What was examine though?
Akasha Vision Alert: Ability activated ¨C Examine Examine ¨C Use this ability to scan and examine nearby magical items or creatures. Data returned is dependent on ability level. Current ability level: Novice ¨C Level 1 Do you wish to examine nearby Akasha? Yes/no?
Mia mentally selected yes.
Akasha Vision Alert: Ability level is not high enough to be used on nearby Akasha
Mia grumbled under her breath before Lily turned around to face her. ¡°Do you have an examine ability?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Lily glared at her, then sighed. Mia decided not to bother with her songbird ability, she had no idea how much attention it would draw in their direction. ¡°We need to start leveling you up.¡± Lily said as she turned around walking backwards. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You can level by completing quests and gaining experience points. Your Akasha Vision will usually derive a quest from whatever goal you have set for yourself. You can have multiple quests. Remember, your Akasha Vision is like your subconscious, so it will give you what you implicitly need.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound plausible.¡± Lily laughed. ¡°Say for instance, you¡¯re harvesting wheat and you¡¯re in over your head, your Akasha Vision will usually alert you with a quest. If you¡¯re able to complete the quest, this gives you experience, which levels you up. I have heard that you can gain a skill or ability from completing quests, but that¡¯s rare. The higher your core level, the more spells you unlock, then you can level those up as well.¡± ¡°So, you can replace spells?¡± ¡°At certain levels, yes.¡± ¡°That sounds interesting.¡± ¡°Again, it¡¯s your choice. Your Akasha Vision will tell you if you have a spell that can be replaced by a spell of a higher tier. That takes a lot of work though.¡± Mia shrugged. She wasn¡¯t a stranger to hard work. ¡°By the way Lily, why can¡¯t you just magic us to wherever where going, this trip is boring.¡± ¡°I used a lot of my jin portaling us out of the palace.¡± ¡°Before I ask about whatever you just said¡­why couldn¡¯t you just take us straight there?¡± ¡°Because I can only travel so far, and Odgen is well out of my range.¡± Kate scoffed. ¡°What good is it for then?¡± Lily turned to briefly look at Kate before giving her the biggest smile. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, maybe saving that beautiful face of yours.¡± Mia snickered as Kate side-eyed Lily, then pretended to scan the forest around them. ¡°I want to teach you a few things before we get there.¡± ¡°For the love of gods, no more lessons,¡± Kate whined as they stomped around a small thicket. ¡°All Akasha can cast a maximum of three spells based on their element. You unlock the first at level one, the next at level five and the last at level ten. Then you can replace or continue to level the spells you have. You also get three skills and three abilities.¡± ¡°See what I mean, what does any of this have to do with me? Why can¡¯t you teach her at your guild or whatever you call it.¡± ¡°I do plan on training with her there. Properly. Where she would be free to cast her fireball and not have it burn down the entire area.¡± Lily sighed, ¡°The most important part is understanding your magic and how to use it. I want to teach you that.¡± Mia quickly checked her status page. ¡°It says I have one of seven spells unlocked, is that right?¡± She answered. Lily stared at her. ¡°You can cast up to seven spells?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what this says, one of seven unlocked.¡± Lily stared at her again, then shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how that¡¯s possible¡­I mean not without a magical item.¡± Mia looked at Kate who shrugged. ¡°Mia has always been kind of abnormal. I mean, who has purple eyes and carries around an old book anyway?¡± She gave Kate a flat look before looking over her spell again. ¡°It says I have something called a songbird ability, but I¡¯m not sure how to activate it?¡± ¡°How many abilities do you have? You know what, nevermind, it¡¯s absurd that you even have abilities right now. Usually they aren¡¯t unlocked until you reach core level five. Abilities don¡¯t require a word of power. They are also instinctive.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Kate yawned loudly as she and Lily snapped to look at her. ¡°What?¡± Mia rolled her eyes as Kate gave her an innocent smile. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± Kate said as she stretched her arms into the air. ¡°Like what.¡± Kate snickered. ¡°Like that book you¡¯re always carrying around with you. Is it a diary? I swear it hasn¡¯t left your side since we met.¡± Mia¡¯s face flushed bright pink as she stopped mid stride. ¡°How do you know about my book?¡± ¡°Girl, everyone knows about it. We see you reading it all the time. I could never find it though.¡± She glared at Kate who shrugged her shoulders, not begrudging the truth. Mia sighed. ¡°Tell me more about this spirit element, Lily, what is it?¡± Lily shook her head. ¡°There aren¡¯t any spirit Akasha that I know of. What I can remember is spirit Akasha can cast any element¡­which is also absurd I must add. Once word gets around that you¡¯re an unbridled Akasha with spirit power, every guild will want you.¡± ¡°In a good way or bad?¡± ¡°That depends on the guild.¡± Mia stared at Lily who shrugged. ¡°Guilds are in place for many reasons, one being supplying the world with resources looted from the dungeons.¡± ¡°How do you join a guild anyway?¡± ¡°There is a selection after Akasha training school where guilds choose their next candidates. Any Akasha not belonging to a guild have their magic forcibly removed.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the way of the Akasha.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right to me.¡± Lily shrugged. ¡°Me either, for that matter.¡± Kate chimed in. The sun had come and gone. Lily spotted a nearby river where they could set up camp for the night. ¡°You two wait here and I¡¯m going to see if I can find food. For some reason, my dimensional storage can carry anything but food.¡± ¡°I can go with you.¡± Lily turned towards Mia, putting a hand gently on her shoulder, locking her amber eyes with hers. ¡°Mia, I need you to promise me something. If anything happens to me, get to Sagev and find the guild house, talk to the captain in charge. Tell them you know me, and they will know what to do.¡± ¡°What do you mean if anything happens to you?¡± ¡°Just promise me.¡± Mia stared at Lily for a moment, not breaking her gaze. ¡°Ok, I promise.¡± ¡°I promise too, in case you were wondering.¡± Kate interrupted. Lily smirked before jumping into the trees and vanishing into them. Kate looked at her in bewilderment. ¡°If she could do that, why aren¡¯t we there already?¡± ¡°Probably because we can¡¯t do that, Kate.¡± Kate rolled her eyes. *** Lily sped through the forest on the branches of trees, moving quickly as she searched for anything edible. The bushes nearby only carried poisonous berries, her Akasha training in full bearing. How is she a spirit Akasha? Lily thought to herself as she absently scanned around. Her search was leading her deeper into the forest, much further than she intended. Lily shrugged. Mia and Kate were both Kings Guards, they should be able to handle themselves for anything they would find out here. Lily let her mind wonder a bit back to when Mia was born. Lana must have known that Mia was a spirit Akasha. She shook off the thought as dozens of hordes of wild boars screeched in a stamped heading her way. The sounds of tusks clashed as they galloped away from an unknown source. She used the trees to move around them instead of across the scattered brush on the ground. She looked at the stampede rampaging through the forest. The sound they were making attracting larger creatures by the droves. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be stampeding like this,¡± she whispered aloud to no one in particular. Lily checked her status page and cursed to herself. She didn¡¯t have any jin left. After starting her wild storm cast, she stopped in the middle after Mia wasn¡¯t moving on the ground. This caused magical backlash, and her jin stopped rejuvenating ever since. She cursed again. Using the teleportation crystal took the last bit of what she had left, and it would be hours before the debuff wore off. Lily took out her dagger and long sword. ¡°Hard way it is.¡± Lily jumped in the back of the stampede, using her ride the wind skill to easily pierce the boars in vital spots. Her skill allowed her to glide on the air beneath her, propelling her forward at alarming speed. The boars squealed loudly as Lily cut cleanly into them. The smell of blood still wafted in the air, however, attracting the howls of nearby predators. Lily shook her head. ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡± *** ¡°I thought you usually tell me everything.¡± ¡°I do tell you everything.¡± Kate scoffed. ¡°Why am I hearing about so many things from Lily rather than from you?¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Kate gave her a flat look. Mia sighed. ¡°Ok, what do you want to know.¡± ¡°So many things, but ok, I guess I am most curious about that book you carry in that bag of yours. What is it really?¡± Mia smiled. ¡°It¡¯s called the Young Wooden Maiden. My father gave it to me when I was little and I guess it¡¯s been my favorite ever since.¡± ¡°Aww, that¡¯s cute.¡± Mia grabbed a nearby twig and threw it at Kate, making her run around the makeshift tent Lily left behind. They were still getting the pieces together when low rumbling growls came from behind the trees around them. Dark red eyes appeared in the darkness, as piercing howls sent chills down her spine. A pack of wolves surrounded them, their footsteps mimicking her heartbeat. The wolves moved in and out of the shadows through the trees and out onto the small patch of forest they decided to set up camp. ¡°Any ideas?¡± Mia whispered to Kate, who was standing behind her with their backs pressed together. The small fire they set up beforehand was small and didn¡¯t give much life, but apparently it was enough to attract them. ¡°Run for it?¡± Kate asked, giving her a slight nudge in the waist. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible idea. They¡¯ll hunt us down like¡­well¡­you know.¡± Kate hmphed. ¡°Pshhh, I could out run them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to bet on that.¡± ¡°It looks like we¡¯re not going to have a choice. Do your magic thingy.¡± ¡°The only magic that I have is fireball¡­and we¡¯re in a forest.¡± ¡°Burn it down then.¡± Mia grabbed the decorative short sword from her hip as she felt Kate pull her weapon as well.
Akasha Vision Alert: New Quest ¨C Defeat the pack Quest Level: Uncommon A pack of wolves has surrounded you. Defeat them to gain quest reward. Success Conditions: Defeat 6/6 dire wolves. Quest Failure or Refusal: Unknown Reward: +1000 exp Accept? Yes/no?
Mia mentally selected yes as a wolf attacked, lunging at Mia, almost catching her off guard. Their training kicked in quickly. Kate swayed out of the way, as Mia swung her sword upwards, catching the wolf in the bottom jaw, killing it instantly. The other wolves attacked. The first wolf¡¯s body slumped to the ground as two others jumped to bite her neck, their long jagged teeth dripping with bloody saliva. Her short sword blocked the first advance as she kicked one off balance, slicing the other in the side, dropping it to the ground. An attack from the third wolf hit on her blind side, landing square in her shoulder. The wolf drew goblets of blood as it locked onto her. Kate swung and the wolf¡¯s body was torn in two. Mia recovered, then spun slicing the next as it jumped at Kate from behind. ¡°Duck¡± Mia yelled, pushing Kate down and to the side. The alpha charged at them, his fangs and claws massive as it screeched it¡¯s attack. She heaved her short sword as the wolf lunged, piercing the wolfs skull through its eye. ¡°That was a lucky shot.¡± Mia grinned.
Akasha Vision Alert ¨C Quest complete. Due to companion aiding with quest, quest reward is halved. +500 exp. Congratulations you have reached core level 2 +1 Stat Point +50% HP
¡°Stat point?¡± Mia didn¡¯t have time to think about it as sounds of howling grew louder from the distance. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can handle many more. We need to get away from here and find a safer location.¡± Kate said as she tried to wipe the blood from her short sword. ¡°We can¡¯t go too far away, what about Lily?¡± ¡°Lily can catch up. She¡¯s a magic wizard or something isn¡¯t she.¡± Mia sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go down wind and lay low for a while. When the coast is clear, we¡¯ll head back here and wait for her.¡± Mia said as she tried to wrap her with a torn end of her cloak. ¡°I need to figure out how this Akasha thing works, anyway. Hopefully I¡¯ll get something better than fireball for my next spell.¡± Mia responded as she rushed to retrieve her short sword. The wolves that first surrounded them were dead, but she did not like the sound of the other howls she heard. ¡°Which is useless right now by the way.¡± Kate snorted, rolling her eyes. Mia grinned tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s just go up the river, we can always follow it back down.¡± Kate nodded, then flashed her a smile. Mia laughed then dashed through the tree line and downwind of the river. The howls behind her now pounding in her eardrums as her heartbeat pounded out her chest. She zigzagged through the trees until she spotted a large one with thick roots coming out of the ground and branches that looked sturdy enough to sleep on. She hit a hard left turn, causing Kate to almost hit a tree as she tried to change direction going at full speed. Suddenly, a loud crack took her by surprise as the flooring gave way, plunging her down a hidden cliff and into the raging river below. ¡°Ughhh!¡± Kate wailed as she jumped in after her. Powers ¡°Are you mental?!¡± Kate snapped at her as they climbed out of the river onto an unknown embankment. The river was longer than she anticipated, finishing with a small waterfall and into a surrounding lake where her and Kate had to pull themselves out. ¡°Kate, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in Kansas anymore.¡± Kate gave her a flat look. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your nonsense Mia, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to make it back. It¡¯s pitch black out here.¡± Mia flashed her a grin. ¡°Where¡¯s that can do attitude you always have?¡± Kate rolled her eyes. ¡°I know we can do nothing about being lost right now.¡± Mia laughed. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡± Rocky cliffs and hills surrounded them, along with the outspreading of the forest. The climb up the waterfall looked steep, but they needed to make it back to Lily. Mia nudged at Kate after doing their best to dry off their wet armor, still managing to hang onto their short swords. They started to climb a cliff face that wasn¡¯t saturated with the water from the waterfall. There was a large space in the middle of the steep and barely climbable rock. Mia and Kate did climbed to the center, Kate almost falling as they reached the break. Mia rushed helping Kate the rest of the way, holding onto a small tree for leverage. Suddenly, Mia flew into the air, her leg caught in a hidden rope that dangled from the tree. Kate¡¯s sword flashed and Mia dropped instantly. ¡°Ok so there¡¯s that¡± Mia said as she landed feet first in a crouch, her landing graceful. Mia shook her head, then looked around for more hidden traps. ¡°Who would have placed something like that here?¡± She thought out loud ¡°And why.¡± Kate said putting her sword away and searing around as well. ¡°Bandits?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Hopefully we don¡¯t run into anything else.¡± Kate said as they both started to climb the cliff again. *** Lily turned and sped through the trees, the getting stronger as she neared where she left Mia and Kate. ¡°What in the world?¡± She said to herself as she saw the blood splatters and the wolves strewn over the wooded grove. ¡°Either they¡¯re highly impressive, or they¡¯re super lucky.¡± She twisted her face and followed the footsteps the two left in their battle with the wolves. She stopped as the footsteps vanished and she noticed a small drop in the forest floor that led to a river. ¡°Bloody hell¡­¡± *** The top of the cliff led to a path where rock walls looked mountainous on both sides of them. Trees were scattered throughout the narrow pathway. As they walked, Mia channeled her jin and cast her fireball spell, but instead of shooting it out, she focused on it staying in her hand. Her fireball became as small as an ember, lighting their path in the dark. ¡°Is that a cave?¡± Mia pointed at small hole in the middle of the rocky walls, the opening barely visible. ¡°Do you think we should check it out?¡± Mia shrugged. ¡°It could be a place to rest until daybreak.¡± Kate smiled. ¡°That¡¯s the best plan you¡¯ve had all season.¡± Mia gave Kate a sarcastic look as they entered the cave.
Akasha Vision Alert: You have entered a Temporary Dungeon.
¡°What the¡­?¡± Mia and Kate didn¡¯t have time to react as rock monsters attacked them from all sides, binding them and knocking her out. *** ¡°Where are we?¡± Mia felt the cold sting of chains around her arms dangled in the air as she sat on a hard stone floor. The stench of death permeated the air making her gag out of reflex. ¡°You had the brilliant idea of going into the cave to wait for daybreak.¡± Kate retorted as she shook her chains against the stone wall. One torch light lit adorned to a metal facet in the wall gave her a dim view of her surroundings. They were in a cell. Heavy metal bars with a thick lock in the center was in front of her as thick stone walls with large chains held them in place. No one was in the cell with them except for scattered mice and bones. No guards stood on the outside of the cell either, which she found even more odd. Mia shook her head. ¡°What¡¯s that noise¡± Kate said as she started to look around the cave more intently. Mia listened then strained her body to see as far outside the cell as her chains would allow. She gasped, finally noticing the multiple cells containing multiple prisoners. ¡°My Akasha Vision told me we¡¯re in a temporary dungeon. We need to see if we can get out of here.¡± ¡°How is my world suddenly becoming all about magic now?¡± Kate huffed as she struggled with the chains. Mia looked around and noticed one of the bones looked thick with a sharp edge. She struggled to grasp the bone that was just outside her reach. With a final shove, Mia grabbed the bone with a slight yip in glee. Mia used the bone to unlock her chains, then unlocked Kate¡¯s.
Akasha Vision Alert: Sleight of Hand has reached level 2 Akasha Vision Alert: Escape the Dungeon Unknown forces occupy the Dungeon of Lost Souls, escape the dungeon or defeat the Dungeon Master. Quest Level: Epic Success Conditions: Escape the Dungeon of Lost Souls Reward: +500 exp Quest Failure or Refusal: Capture by unknown forces Accept? Yes/no?
Mia mentally selected ¡°Yes¡± and the white screen vanished from her view. ¡°You know, I always did wonder where you learned how to do that.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised by what you can pick up when you fear for your life every day.¡± Kate shrugged. ¡°Fair point.¡± Mia used the bone shard on the metal lock, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Mia took a deep breath and channeled her jin, releasing her word of power as a small fireball shot into the metal, melting it away. ¡°Why do you make that look easy?¡± Kate sighed. Mia smiled as they cautiously exited the cell, turned to their left and right to make sure no one after them was coming. The cells were built into the walls of the stone cave. The path out of the cell led either to the left or right, Mia turning to head towards the closest cell she could spot. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill us!¡± Came the cry of an exasperated woman. She held a small child in her arms as a man lay dangling next to her, his body lifeless. ¡°What in the world.¡± Mia used her fireball to break into the cell, unchaining the woman as the baby lay still in her arms. ¡°May the gods bless you.¡± The woman cried as she ran from the cell. ¡°How many people do you think here?¡± Kate asked exasperated. Mia shook her head. Her eyes were wide with horror as they continued to unlock cells. Most containing dead that still lay shackled to the walls. The people she was able to release cried as they ran in terror, each one going a different direction. ¡°This is insane.¡± Mia said, her face a mix of horror and panic. Kate shook her head as they continued down the hall. ¡°What the blazes is going on down there.¡± a voice boomed down the hall. Mia and Kate finally reached the end of It came from behind a gate made entirely of bones. The gate opened, and a giant of a man walked through with a torch light in his hand and a short sword on this hip. He stepped close to Mia. The only other lights in the cavern came from the torch lights by each cell. Mia sprang into action and shot a fireball in his direction, his face wide-eyed as the spell struck him in the torso. Mia¡¯s face grew wide as the man got up slowly, his hand holding rocks that spun around it. This man was an Akasha too. The man roared, launching the rocks in quick movements as he rushed at Mia. She narrowly dodged but quickly followed with a swift kick to the back. He turned and charged at her. She undercut his wasteful attempt to tackle her with his apparent brute strength and took his short sword with one fluid motion. The man stood back, dazed. Suddenly his face grew hard. ¡°This one is an Akasha.¡± The man bellowed as more footsteps were heard approaching them fast. Mia took the short sword and struck the man in the face, blood spattering as he yelled. Mia twisted and used the hilt to hit the man on the back of the head, knocking him out cold. ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± Kate said as she grabbed Mia by the arm, dragging her in the opposite direction of the oncoming footsteps. ¡°What about the rest of the cells?¡± Mia panted as they ran past more cells filled with people. ¡°We can¡¯t free them now Mia, we have no idea what¡¯s around us, who is doing this nor what they want¡± Mia shook her head, and Kate threw her hands up. ¡°Fine¡± Kate huffed. Mia had just managed to unchain the last prisoner when a dozen guards appeared in the hallway, their weapons raised. ¡°Time for fun.¡± Kate¡¯s face contorted into a wolfish grin. ¡°Run Kate!¡± Mia looked at Kate incredulously. ¡°Run where?¡± ¡°Away from the guards obviously¡± Mia retorted. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be possible.¡± Kate said as she pointed towards the bombardment of rocks that were hurling their way. The original set of backup guards finally caught up with them, their anger turning to rage as Mia used their advance as a training session. She glid between the large beasts of men that seemed to only like using their strength as their weapon. She shot a fireball, knocking the first two off their feet. Mia then used her short sword to slice off the heads as she made her way through the handful. ¡°Kate, catch!¡± Mia yelled, then threw a sword from one of the recently fallen guards. Kate caught it midair, then turned and swung the sword upward on one of the rapidly approaching guards. The sword caught him in the chest, which made him grab it and stagger backwards.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Another guard lunged at Mia. She dodged and sliced downward across his back. The last guard left roared, then barreled toward them. His speed and momentum were gaining as he shot more rocks at her. The onslaught pelted her, making it impossible for her to advance further. Kate yelled as the rock pellets took her down. Mia ran to help as the guard sliced at her with his sword. Mia caught his swing and used his momentum against him, knocking him off balance and using that to cut his torso and neck. ¡°They went this way!¡± A voice echoed off the cavern walls. ¡°Plan D, follow me!¡± Mia stated as she helped Kate to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m officially done with magic.¡± Kate groaned as she hobbled behind. Mia put a hand over her face and sighed. The dungeon they were trapped in was intricate. There were massive tunnels which seemed to just lead to more tunnels or dead ends. Shouts could still be heard behind them and they rushed in the opposite direction. Most of the dungeon was dark. Random torch lights littered the hallway. There were mostly shadowy areas which made up most of the space, making it almost impossible to tell where they were going. They ran down one tunnel and came upon a large room with more guards. They decided not to engage and ran down a nearby passageway. More tunnels and more rooms that led to more dead ends. The exit was nowhere in sight. Luckily, the guards did not catch up with them as they tried to make their escape. ¡°We need to think¡± Mia said after swearing they were going in circles. ¡°I don¡¯t understand these tunnels or where they lead¡± Kate shrugged in response. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be natural.¡± Mia placed a hand on her chin, trying to remember where they spotted guards and where they hadn¡¯t. They needed to keep moving though. There was no telling where there would be more. ¡°Who do you think they are?¡± ¡°Who knows? What I do know is that we can¡¯t keep going down the same paths.¡± Kate snorted. ¡°Look at the ground, do you see all of the footprints they left behind. They are big, and they¡¯ve left dents where they have come in and out of. It¡¯s hard to see in this light, and they have done a good job trying to cover up their tracks. Look closely though. You can see where there is a slight lowering in some areas, and even lower ground in other areas.¡± ¡°So, we need to follow the lights and check whether the ground is dented or slightly dented?¡± ¡°More or less¡± Mia sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They followed the trail of light down a raveling set of tunnels that had more impacted dirt than the other choices nearby. The pair turned down another set of tunnels and came face to face with a contingent of brawly looking soldiers. ¡°Run!¡± Mia shouted, but it was too late. The other contingent that was following the two finally caught up with them. ¡°Well, well, well, what do we have here?¡± A feminine voice came from behind the stack of burly men. She slowly approached them to being within a hairs distance. ¡°Looks like a couple of shurkas.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to answer your own question, why bother asking?¡± Mia said with derision. The woman smacked Mia across the face, blood spattering on the ground after the hit impacted. Mia wiped what remained on her sleeve and smiled. ¡°You mock me child, but your life is in my hands.¡± Suddenly, a bright white light appeared, and the woman was knocked back by a brutal force. The guards attacked what appeared to be the source of the light and there stood Lily. Mia¡¯s face widened. More light shot out of Lily¡¯s hands as the guards rushed towards her, the woman struggling to get up. Mia and Kate sprang into action, Mia using Lily¡¯s distraction as a way to take down some of the large forces. Mia used her short sword to puncture guards that were close to her then dodged out of the way as Kate finished up the attack. Lily used bombardments of light while the guards approached her in waves. Mia¡¯s face grew wide as the guard numbers started to dwindle, until the woman stood up and let loose a spray of rocks from her hands that buried all three of them underneath. *** Mia awoke in a large metal cage. She groaned as she felt around. No chains, yet no weapon either. Mia sighed then ran to the bars of the cage, gasping as she took in the full sight. She was dangling dozens of meters in the air on thick metal chains hanging from the ceiling. A large murky black pit loomed beneath her as a narrow bridge led from one side of the cave walls to the middle of the pit. The room was lit with torches hanging from the walls. The light was not that bright, but it allowed her to see the multiple people scattered in the hanging cages. The noise from them was loud. Various moans and pleads from the prisoners reverberated off the walls. Mia squinted her eyes as a hole opened in the rock wall and a different woman, one with straight black hair and brown robes walked down the bridge over the pit. The room grew eerily silent as the woman stopped. Mia could hear Lily¡¯s voice as a cage started lowering. The woman¡¯s voice cut through the chamber like ice. ¡°Fancy meeting you here, Lily,¡± The woman said cheerfully. ¡°Tess.¡± Lily sneered back at her. ¡°When my team said they captured an Akasha, I just had to hurry down and find out who would be foolish enough to enter this dungeon. Turns out the answer was better than expected.¡± Lily grunted. ¡°I always knew you to be scum, Tess, but this place is exceptionally low.¡± She spat. ¡°Watch your filthy mouth.¡± Tess sneered. ¡°Cheer up Tessi, why don¡¯t you let us out and we can talk about it.¡± Tess and Lily laughed mockingly in unison. ¡°I just wanted to come and see the face of the person next in line.¡± ¡°In line for what?¡± Lily asked, no longer suppressing her anger. ¡°The sacrifice,¡± Tess said with a grin, ¡°You¡¯re next in line to be fed to Horven,¡± she added with a smile. ¡°Horven?¡± Lily questioned, but Tess laughed without responding. Tess turned and left the room the same way she entered. The noise grew louder as she exited. Rattling chains echoed around the room as the prisoners shook their cages in anguish. Lily¡¯s cage started to ascend and she roared in anger. Tess laughed as the walls of the door formed back into solid rock behind her. ¡°We need to find a way out and Tess blocked my jin.¡± Lily¡¯s voice rang over the chaos. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know that was possible, but I can make it to you.¡± Mia responded as she channeled her jin and cast her fireball, melting the lock on the cage door. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I think they thought you were the only Akasha because I can still use my magic.¡±
Akasha Vision Alert: Low Jin Using more jin could lead to loss of consciousness
Mia looked over the notification before a splitting headache made her crumple to her knees. She shook it off, standing then carefully gripping the bars of the cage, pulling herself to the top. Mia cursed to herself as the cage rocked in her attempt to climb. The top of the cage was a slick, making it hard to grip and pull herself up. With a final shove, Mia hosted herself to the top of the cage, making the cage swing in a side to side motion. Mia steadied herself as the cage finally settled, giving a clearer picture of the cages hanging on all sides of her. The cages were close to each other, making an off kilter pathway for one who dared. Mia noticed that getting to different cages was the easiest part of the task, the main obstacle was getting down from the steep height and onto the narrow bridge below. ¡°Kate!¡± Mia shouted. ¡°Over here,¡± Kate¡¯s familiar voice rang out as she noticed a hand waving from a cage near Lily. Mia held her breath and jumped onto the top of the cage as it swung fiercely. Her foot slipped, causing her to nearly topple over the side but she was able to grab hold of the cage bars as she fell. She hoisted herself back to the top of the cage and held onto the large chain in the middle until the cage settled. ¡°That could have gone better,¡± Mia said to herself as she leapt to the next cage. Each cage she landed on began to swing, sending the prisoners inside tumbling back and forth. Mia shot out apologies as she looked at their petrified faces. The prisoners screamed for help. Mia looked at their broken bodies, then shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll try to free you if I can,¡± she whispered against their pleas. Mia backed up a bit, still in a crouching position. She let out a burst of speed and aimed for what Mia thought was the center of the next cage. She landed nearly in the middle, stabilizing the movement. She did the same for the next two cages, finally arriving at Lily¡¯s. ¡°Neat trick,¡± Lily complimented. ¡°Thanks,¡± Mia gave her a brief smile, then used her fireball to unlock Lily¡¯s cage. ¡°You never cease to amaze me.¡± Mia turned towards the general direction of Kate¡¯s cage. ¡°Kate, shake your cage until the chains rattle. We make sure where you are...¡± Mia said as her and Lily made their way to the top. In a moment¡¯s time, she heard the chains as they shook in a melodic pattern. ¡°She¡¯s a few cages down.¡± Mia said turning to Lily. ¡°After we get her, we need a plan to out of here. There¡¯s no way down and most of the floor is a pit full of gods-know-what.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a way out,¡± Lily said, turning to her. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be.¡± Mia and Lily jumped from cage to cage, finally settling on top of Kate¡¯s. Mia climbed down and used her fireball to unlock Kate¡¯s cage as her Akasha Vision alert flashed red. A searing headache took over as Mia groaned in pain. ¡°Your jin low?¡± Lily questioned as she looked over Mia. ¡°Yep,¡± Mia grunted through the pain. Lily reached her hand into thin air, just like when she pulled out the white crystal to unlock her powers. She took three pieces of rope and a small vial full of dark blue liquid from her dimensional storage space. She handed the liquid vial to Mia before handing each of them a piece of rope. ¡°Oh great, more magic stuff,¡± Kate replied sarcastically. ¡°How are you doing that anyway?¡± ¡°A dimensional storage space.¡± Lily said smiling. ¡°One thing Tess can¡¯t find.¡± Mia looked at the piece of rope that seemed short and ordinary. She shrugged, then downed the vial Lily handed her.
Akasha Vision Alert: Jin potion has restored +50 jn. PL modifier: +50% jn restoration. Jin: 100/150
¡°Jin potion?¡± Mia asked, scrunching her face, as the foul tasting liquid left a bad taste in her mouth. Mia felt her body tingling as her strength returned and her headache subsided. She sighed with relief. ¡°Jin potion.¡± Lily responded, as she started to climb to the top of the cage. Mia and Kate followed, Mia trailing behind as she took a better look at her surroundings. As they reached the top, Mia looked down at the dark murky water, something large moving underneath the almost still surface caught her eye. Mia shook off the thought as the water stopped rippling. ¡°How do we get down from here? These ropes don¡¯t seem long enough.¡± Kate said looking between her and Lily. Mia shrugged then turned to Lily who sighed. ¡°They have been enchanted.¡± Lily said to both. ¡°They get longer as you climb down. The only caveat is if you take both hands off of it, you fall off¡­so don¡¯t take both hands off of the rope.¡± ¡°Ok, so even if we do get down, how do we get out of this place? We¡¯re locked in with these rocks and no doors.¡± Kate stated, still annoyed. ¡°That¡¯s what magic¡¯s for,¡± Lily smiled. Kate shrugged. ¡°Ok mistress wizard, guess it¡¯s time we get going then. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure out the door thing.¡± Lily smirked as they tied the ropes around the large chain at the top of the cage. Luckily, Kate¡¯s cage hung right above the bridge, making it a straight shot down. Climbing down the rope wasn¡¯t difficult. The rope expanded just as Lily said it would. As Mia propelled down, her hands felt like they were glued to it. Finally, without any issues, they landed directly on the bridge. ¡°Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.¡± Kate commented as she glanced up at the long distance they traveled to get down. ¡°Now what?¡± ¡°Now, we get as far away from this place as possible.¡± Lily said as she ran towards where Tess had left them behind. Mia turned to follow Lily as a giant tentacle swept out of the water and wrapped itself tightly around her, dragging her into the depths below. The smell of rotting flesh was overpowering as she plunged into the darkness. She didn¡¯t have time to scream as her body was dragged deeper into the water. ¡°Mia!¡± Lily screamed, but it was too late. Mia tried to let off her fireball spell, but it was ineffective in the water. She started to panic. Was this it? The tentacle wrapped tighter as Mia struggled to break free of its grasp. She couldn¡¯t see anything around her as her lungs started to burn from holding her breath for so long.
Akasha Vision Alert: New Quest ¨C Destroy Horven the Dungeon Boss Quest level: Epic Your instinctive nature wants you to save yourself from the clutches of death. Success Conditions: Destroy the dungeon boss. Quest Failure or Refusal: Death Reward: Unknown Accept? Yes/no?
The tentacle still held her tightly, pulling her deeper into the pit. This was it, she thought to herself. Her body felt like it was on fire. Searing pain radiated through every fiber of her being. Do I accept? Mia thought to herself as hope tried to escape her core. Yes, she mentally thought as her consciousness faded to black.
Akasha Vision Alert: Skill Master Activated ¨C New Skill unlocked Spirit Mode Your spirit element can use your jin in physical form. Spirit Mode ¨C Novice- Level 1 Jn cost: Can use up to maximum jn Cooldown: 24 hours Effect: Use your jin to cause physical damage Dmg: 60-90hp per 10 jn PL Modifier: +50% dmg
Akasha Vision Alert: Absorb Jin Ability Activated Your spirit element can absorb the surrounding raw jin. Absorb jn ¨C Novice- Level 1 Jn cost: None Cooldown: 24 hours Effect: Use your jin merge with the raw jin around you, boosting your jin up to +50% maximum Dmg: None PL Modifier: +50% jn absorption
Bright purple light exploded out of her, blasting the tentacle that wrapped around her into pieces. The monster screeched in agony, as more tentacles wrapped around her, sizzling as they made contact with her physical jin. Mia¡¯s body shivered as it absorbed the raw jin the monster was giving off as she destroyed the tentacles attempting to bind her. Her body glowed brighter as she absorbed jin. Mia dived deeper into the water, her body almost controlling itself as purple beams of light penetrated the rest of the monster¡¯s tentacles, then shot directly through its core killing the monster instantly. Mia felt like she was watching herself from the outside looking in. Most of her consciousness was lost as her absorb jin ability took the rest of the jin the monster gave as it died. Her mind was foggy as the jin of the monster was many times in excess of hers. Akasha Vision alerts started to come in red waves as she turned her head upwards and erupted out of the pit. Mia barely noticed the astonished look on Lily and Kate as she landed on the bridge, running toward where Tess had exited before. Her body still glowed bright purple as she used purple light beams to blast through the thick chamber walls. The rocks crumbled and disintegrated as she made her way through, Kate and Lily following closely behind her. ¡°Someone¡¯s escaping!¡± Mia heard someone shout before guards and rock monsters ran down the hallway in their direction. They didn¡¯t stand a chance as Mia fired purple light beams in their direction. They screamed as their bodies disintegrated in front of her. ¡°Mia,¡± She heard Lily faintly whisper. Mia couldn¡¯t respond as her absorb jin ability, kept feeding her jin as she killed the magical beings. The increased jin kept her mind too fuzzy to respond, but clear enough so that her faint consciousness was screaming for her to stop. She didn¡¯t. Mia kept blasting her way through the tunnels, killing anything that stood in the way. The light blasts and the sound of crushing rock didn¡¯t phase her as she kept making her way directly out of the tunnels. With a final blast, trees emerged in front of them and finally they were out. Mia saw an Akasha Vision alert pass through her view before she ignored it and grabbed Kate and Lily. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Kate said exasperated. Mia just looked at her, then wrapped the three of them in a bubble of purple light, flying them off into the distance. Mia watched as trees and rock hills looked like blurs of light as she flew past. Finally, Mia landed in an open patch in the middle of the forest. ¡°Mia¡­are you ok?¡± Kate asked looking over at her friend who was still glowing. Mia turned to her, but didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Mia¡­¡± Lily whispered. Mia looked at them both as if trying to say something, then collapsed. Now, What? Mia stirred awake. Her head felt like someone had pounded it in until she gave up. She groaned and rubbed her temples as a flickering fire caught her eye. The heat emitting from it felt like being wrapped in a warm hug and the tingling feeling in her body started to dissipate. She sat up and looked around at the camp, then saw Lily and Kate sitting on bed packs close to her, staring at her wide-eyed. ¡°You¡¯re a wizard, Harry,¡± Kate said, looking at her and shaking her head. Mia snorted out a laugh, then groaned in pain. ¡°A what?¡± Lily asked in confusion. ¡°We read it in a book. You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Kate laughed. Mia tried to smile, but her body felt like it had electricity pouring through her. Warm fur for the bedding brushed against her hand as she sat up straighter to look around the camp set up in the middle of the forest. The hooting of owls and random rustling of leaves filled the night air. It comforted her. She spent many nights outside listening to the same sounds on her farm. ¡°Do you remember anything that happened, Mia?¡± asked Lily. ¡°Not really.¡± She said closing her eyes and shaking her head. ¡°I remember not wanting my story to end in the hands of Horven the tentacle monster.¡± Mia said, taking a long deep breath as Kate laughed. Mia nudged her friend aside, smiling herself. ¡°Was it that bad?¡± ¡°You were like a one-man army, Mia¡± Kate stated matter-of-factly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You turned into this superbeing and blasted our way through those tunnels and out of the dungeon. I don¡¯t even know how you knew which way was out.¡± Mia shrugged. After she struggled to break free of the tentacles, she thought she could hear Lily¡¯s voice. Then: flashes of her childhood. She remembered each time her father went away on business trips, her scheming stepmother would force her to sleep by the fire pit and would dare Mia to tell her father, claiming to withhold food if she did. Mia knew that even if she did tell him, he might not even believe her, as her father always chose to see the good in people. Mia shook her head and laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t remember much after going into the pit,¡± she said, scrunching her face. ¡°What was that power?¡± Lily asked as she moved closer to her. ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡± Mia responded. Lily and Kate gave each other a sideways glance before turning their attention back to her. Mia sighed. The sky was pitch black, not one star twinkled, and the moon seemed invariably absent. The air felt cold. Even through the fur of the bed pack and the fire burning close by, she shivered. ¡°How long have I been out?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping for almost two days now, Mia. We kept moving until I thought we were far enough away that Tess would have to search very, very hard to find us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you even survived that. You looked like someone lit you with purple fire and had light beams blasting out of your hands while levitating in mid-air. It was terrifyingly awesome¡­and that¡¯s the last time I¡¯ll admit that!¡± Kate gave her a sly grin as Mia scoffed and smiled. ¡°It looked similar to an ability I have that lets me consume jin. Whenever someone shoots a spell at me, I can absorb it and replenish my jin up to my maximum rate. Any excess jin is lost. Is your power something like that?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Mia looked through her power set. Her was lit with Akasha Vision notifications that she chose to ignore for the time being. She checked her status page and looked confused. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure. I think I used a combination of a skill and an ability. One was called Spirit Mode and the other was called Absorb Jin. One was using my jin as a physical weapon while the other took in the ambient jin. I have no idea why I was glowing like that, though.¡± ¡°It must have been your jin being transformed into a physical form. I¡¯ve never seen that kind of power used quite like that.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t control it.¡± Mia said, looking at the palms of her hands. ¡°It was more like the power was controlling me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I suggest training your jin control. It will make that an even more powerful spell one day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a scary thought, but I have a question,¡± Kate interjected. ¡°What are we going to do now, we can¡¯t hide from them forever if they¡¯re after us like you say they are,¡± she asked Lily. ¡°I think we have enough distance between us that we have a head start to the guild house. We will be protected from them once we get there.¡± ¡°Do you think we should skip Ogden?¡± Mia asked, concerned whether stopping before the guild house was a good idea. Lily shook her head. ¡°We need supplies like food and fresh water. This dimensional storage space has its limits.¡± ¡°What good is it for then?¡± Kate asked, rolling her eyes. Lily gave Kate a look then sighed. ¡°I understand where you¡¯re coming from. We should arrive there just before nightfall tomorrow, enough time to resupply, then we¡¯ll leave again at dawn. Plus, there¡¯s this inn that serves the best food.¡± She added with a grin. ¡°Ok, I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°Me too, but I do have another question. Mia kept saying something over and over, but I couldn¡¯t understand it, do you?¡± Lily shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, it happens passively to spell casting. I believe words of power are an ancient language. I¡¯m sure they mentioned something about it in training school, but that was a long time ago.¡± Lily stated. ¡°Interesting,¡± Kate replied, looking between her and Lily. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure this out. It seems the more I think I understand, something else happens.¡± Mia shook her head. Lily laughed heartily. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to get used to that. Being an Akasha can be¡­unpredictable. Your spells, your skills, your abilities, all of them are unique to you. I hope you grow well into them.¡± Mia half-smiled, then was prompted by a nudging to check her Akasha Vision alerts. Before she could relax and read them, Lily interrupted her thoughts. ¡°We need to keep moving before daybreak, I want to get in and get out of Odgen, so we can get to the guild house before the end of next week.¡± Lily said, as she settled into her bed pack. ¡°If I know Tess, which I unfortunately do, she isn¡¯t going to rest until she tracks us down. Hopefully, she didn¡¯t copy my jin into a tracker stone, but we¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it.¡± ¡°I say we head out just before first light,¡± Lily continued, ¡°Ogden is only 60 kilometers north from here, where we should be ok for a moment. We need to replenish supplies and get a good night¡¯s rest before we make the rest of the journey to Sagev.¡± ¡°Well, this is going to be fun,¡± Kate huffed as she crawled into her bed pack. With that, Lily turned and went to sleep. ¡°You still with me?¡± ¡°Till Kingdom come, Mia.¡± Kate turned over in her bed pack, leaving Mia with the chance to finally go over her neglected alerts.
Akasha Vision Alert ¨C Quest complete. You have defeated Horven the Dungeon Boss of Lost Souls Reward: Ring of the Wanderer Reward: +7500 exp. Reward: +1 gold crowns +10 silver crowns +100 copper pieces Congratulations you have reached core level 5 +3 Stat Points +150% HP +250 JP
Akasha Vision Alert: System Inventory unlocked System Inventory- Level 1 Hold up to 5 items in system inventory dimensional storage space. Multiple items of the same class count as one space. PL Modifier: +50% Current items: 4/10
Akasha Vision Alert: New Spell unlocked ¨C Water whip Water Whip ¨C Novice- Level 1 Jn cost: 30 jn Cooldown: 10s Effect: cast a water stream from your hand that lashes out up to 15m for 5s. Dmg: 40-50hp PL Modifier: +50% dmg Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Akasha Vision Alert: New Spell unlocked ¨C Air blast Air blast ¨C Novice- Level 1 Jn cost: 10 jn Cooldown: 1s Effect: Cast a blast of air up to 15m. Dmg: 10-20hp PL Modifier: +50% dmg
Mia gaped, then quickly checked to see if Kate and Lily were still sleeping. Their loud snores told her the coast was clear as she quietly got up to try out her new spells. The river was nowhere around them. Lily and Kate set up camp in a small grove in the middle of a thicket of trees in the forest. Mia reached into thin air and pulled out the ring. It shone bright gold with a red symbol etched on top. She slid the ring down her middle finger and an alert popped up.
Akasha Vision Alert: Ring of Wanderer Activated Durability: 200/200 Item PL: Epic Quality: Well-crafted Weight: 0.1kg Effect: Cast a cloak of invisibility around wearer Cooldown: 1 hour after destruction or deactivation. PL modifier: +25% durability (+50% personal PL modifier)
A shimmering white light enveloped around her before dissipating. Everything looked the same to her, but she shrugged. Mia decided that she had walked into the forest enough so that she wouldn¡¯t draw too much attention to herself. Mayim sot A long stream of water flowed out of her hand, its thickness narrowing to a thin point at the end. She whipped her arm in a circle and the water followed making a loud crack at the end. She smiled brightly, then waved her arm, spinning around like how she read about in her stories. The water spun around, promptly smacking her right in the face. Mia squealed in pain as the spell dissipated, not wanting to make too much noise, but the stinging sensation caused her toes to curl. She suddenly felt unsure if trying out her next spell was worth it. But Mia took a deep breath in and decided to try it out, anyway. Mia pointed her hand towards a nearby tree as words of power flowed from her lips. A gust of wind shot out of her hand as her whole body flew backwards and into a tree behind her. Mia huffed as her body slumped to the ground. She groaned as she tried to regain her bearings, not knowing which way was up at the moment. Mia closed her eyes, then sat up, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯d say that¡¯s enough for one day.¡± ¡°Us, too.¡± Mia turned to see Lily and Kate. In her concentration, she didn¡¯t realize they had been watching her, both sitting on a large tree stump. Kate¡¯s smug grin made her groan again as Mia slowly got up and walked over to them. ¡°By the way, I think your invisibility thing turned off, we can see you again.¡± Mia checked her Akasha Vision notifications and a bright red one said that her cloak deactivated on impact. Mia huffed, Some ring, she thought. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get as much rest as possible tonight. Tomorrow we are going to move fast so we can get there. I hear they are all set up for the Festival of Kel and I can¡¯t wait to see it.¡± Had it been that long already? The Festival of Kel was over a week away the night the palace was attacked. Now it seems the day of the festival had finally arrived. The walk back to their makeshift camp was eerily quiet as they settled down into their bed packs. Mia stared at the dark sky as Kate put out the fire, then drifted off into sleep. *** Right at the break of dawn, the trio made their way through the forest. Lily showed Mia a map feature in her Akasha Vision which gave her a rough estimate of her surroundings and of those she had previously traveled. Fortunately for them, Lily had traveled much of the forest and knew how to get to Ogden from where they were. Mia gathered from her Akasha Vision that they were in the Forest of Atrean, far away from the palace. There were so many things that she needed to explore about what she could do, but didn¡¯t know where to start. She decided to pull up her stat sheet again. According to Lily, Akasha gain experience based on the difficulty of the task presented to them. Akasha Vision then auto-assigns experience rewarded. By gaining enough experience, one could level and would be awarded one stat attribute that you can assign. Mia assigned her three attributes into constitution, wisdom, and luck. Constitution and wisdom for obvious reasons, and luck because who couldn¡¯t use a bit of extra help? Lily taught Mia how to travel through the forest on the limbs of the trees using her jin. Kate fussed as they sped ahead then waited for her to catch up. Although she used spirit mode and absorb jin ability to free them from the dungeon, she couldn¡¯t access them in her Akasha Vision. It looked like the skill and ability were gray instead of blue. Lily said she couldn¡¯t explain it either or why her levels were so high, but she knew someone at the guild who might have an idea. The journey was long, but they traveled without rest and made it to Ogden before dusk. The tree canopy left enough room for light to pass through as they saw the stretch of forest just before the break and the large wall and gate of Ogden. They kept pressing forward, moving swiftly as they came to the city gates. Fully armored guards ushered people in and out of the town, the crowds making the guards on horses scream for order. A pair of guards stood directly in front of the tall solid wooden doors. The doors were fully open to allow merchants with large carts and traveling families through the tight security. The large stone wall that encircled the town was too tall to climb, and even if you did, there were archers ready at the top. ¡°Evening, gentlemen,¡± Lily said as she strolled up to them with the most magnetic smile Mia had seen on her. ¡°It will be six silvers and six copper for the lot of you¡± one of the guards demanded. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you charming¡± Lily said as Kate scoffed. ¡°Either pay or move to the side,¡± the other guard said to Lily sternly. Groups of people walked in and out of the gate as the Festival of Kel was in full swing. Mia could hear the sounds of lutes and drums in the background and the smell of spices captivated her attention. The guards heckled travelers as they went through the gate, demanding a different price from what they quoted to the last. ¡°I think they¡¯re robbing us,¡± Kate whispered as Mia watched Lily speak with the two guards. Finally, one of them shouted for her to leave. ¡°All right, all right, no need to get fussy,¡± Lily retorted as she threw her hands up. ¡°But what if we don¡¯t have any?¡± ¡°No crowns, no entry,¡± the first guard said to Lily. Mia didn¡¯t know how to activate her ring to produce her cloak or the cost of the toll with hoards of people around to see her. It would be a lot harder to explain it to the guards. Mia pulled Kate and Lily back towards the fence line and away from the crowds. She activated her invisibility cloak and watched the astonishment cross their faces as white light shimmered around her. To Mia, it looked like she was wearing an ordinary cloak made of soft black cloth. Mia pulled back the hood and watched Kate¡¯s eyebrows raise in surprise. ¡°Invisibility cloak?¡± Lily asked. Mia beamed. ¡°I wonder if we can get past the guards with this?¡± ¡°It would be a good idea, but we wouldn¡¯t be able to shop in any of the stores without a ticket from the guards.¡± Mia huffed then deactivated her cloak. She did the math and decided that she would need to break down her gold coin if they were all going to get in. Mia reached into her dimensional storage space and produced the gold crown, the shine of it gleaming in her hand. Lily went wide-eyed as Kate scoffed. ¡°Was that a quest reward?¡± Mia nodded as Kate snatched the gold crown from her hand and bit it. ¡°I guess this thing is real. That magic power is scary. Can it always produce coin like this?¡± ¡°Yes, which is why I think the Akasha don¡¯t want the humans to raid the dungeons. It gives the gold to them rather than coming back to the Akasha guilds. Them having a permanent dungeon means they have permanent access to crowns if a monster were to loot it.¡± ¡°Humans can get quests, too?¡± ¡°Not quite. In dungeons, when humans raid them, if they are able to defeat a dungeon boss, then a loot chest appears filled with gold crowns and precious gems. The Akasha can use the gems for potions and rituals, while the humans use them for jewelry or adornments. Akasha also get magical items instead of some of the gold as well.¡± ¡°So the Akasha feel that the humans are taking their stuff?¡± Kate asked, just as her stomach rumbled. They hadn¡¯t eaten since they left the dungeon. Lily had given them the last of the food she could find. Not wanting to eat any meat and have the smell attracting attention, they decided to wait until Ogden before they got food. ¡°I told you three, no coin, no entry.¡± Mia handed over the gold coin and the guard smiled wryly. ¡°Let¡¯s just go,¡± Lily said, pulling her and Kate inside. Ogden was a small province within the Kingdom of Talis. Mia vaguely remembered learning in training about Ogden, which was a mining town. ¡°I love this festival!¡± Kate declared excitedly. Mia laughed. Bright, multicolored lanterns hung in the air on strings, their color sending patterns of light dancing on the ground below. Delicious scents wafting from seemingly everywhere filled her nose with joy. Fried and sweet aromas made them even more hungry as the lights danced in front of their eyes. They made their way down the main road as people filled the streets visiting many local shops or stand. Laughter and singing rang through the air as music filled every corner, putting a big smile on Mia¡¯s face. Lily pointed to a sign that said Goose Egg Inn. The inn was tall with multiple windows. Mia noticed there was a small garden in the front, which was kept neatly trimmed, and grew fresh herbs. Banners and lights glittered the walkway, and they stopped to marvel at the beauty of it. The large window on the main floor had glass panes where you could see straight into the inviting hearth. They looked at each other, nodded in agreement, then walked inside. The inn was cozy and full of life. People filled the inn wall-to-wall as a band played lively music in the corner. Tables and chairs were neatly placed around the room, with a bar area that was stationed close to a small door, and busy servers brought patrons their orders. As they walked inside, Mia could feel the warm welcome from the large fire in the hearth. They found a table near the bar area. A woman with red hair and eyes that held years of experience, promptly greeted them as they sat down. ¡°Evenin¡¯, ¡®nd welcome to the Goose Egg. I¡¯m Lorna and I¡¯ll be a helpin¡¯ ye out tonight. What¡¯ll it be¡¯?¡± ¡°Three ales and three of your house specials,¡± Lily responded. Lorna smiled and left for another table with the same introduction. Moments later, Lorna returned with three mugs of ale and a promise to return with food shortly. ¡°What is this deliciousness?¡± Mia asked, looking down into her mug of ale as if seeing one for the first time. ¡°You¡¯ve never had it before?¡± ¡°No, I always thought it was for people who had nothing else better to do with their lives.¡± Mia shrugged as she gulped the rest of it down. Mia noticed that the musician who was originally performing when they first arrived had gone, and a new one took their place. The musician had a long cloak with a hood that hid their face. Mia shrugged it off as the musician sat down with a small lute and began to play. Lily¡¯s eyes shot from wherever she was looking, straight to the musician singing on stage. Their song was a stark contrast to the band. It was a slow ballad about a missing lover. Lily¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± Lily whispered sternly. Mia¡¯s face scrunched, and Kate¡¯s eyes glanced over to look at the musician as well. ¡°What?¡± Mia asked in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Lily said back, her eyes not moving. ¡°I¡¯m confused too, what are we looking at?¡± Kate said, not so much in a whisper. A few people turned to look at them before they resumed their conversations. Lily sighed and looked at Mia. ¡°I¡¯ll explain it later.¡± The musician bowed to a light applause and exited the stage, then vanished into the crowd. Lily frowned, then shook her head as the first band resumed the more upbeat music. By the time the song was over, Lorna had brought the food to the table, and all three were happily finishing their plates. Lily asked Lorna if they had rooms available for the night and Lorna told them to talk to Mrs. Gibbs. Lily left the coin on the table, and all three headed towards the rooms. ¡°Hey, if you had coin for food, why didn¡¯t you pay for the toll?¡± ¡°I thought you had it, I didn¡¯t know they were going to take the whole thing.¡± Lily explained. ¡°Yes, you did.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you, I promise.¡± Around the corner from the bar area, a neat little desk stood with stairs leading up to the higher floors behind it. A short, bright faced woman appeared out of nowhere as they approached. ¡°Welcome, welcome!¡± The woman said with a wide cheery smile. ¡°I¡¯m Mrs. Gibbs, the Inn Keeper. Will you all be stayin¡¯ wit us this evening?¡± Mrs. Gibbs had a warm glow about her and a lighter accent than Lorna. Her hands were worn as if she worked with them all of her life. ¡°How much for two rooms for the night?¡± Lily asked. ¡°One silver crown each.¡± Mrs. Gibbs stated. ¡°There¡¯s a communal potroom per floor and you¡¯ll get a hot breakfast in the mornin¡¯. Fresh towels are in the linen closet next to the potroom.¡± Lily counted out the coins from a mysteriously produced pouch and handed them to Mrs. Gibbs. The woman smiled, then her face turned a beet red as she shouted in another language. ¡°I hear you, no need to shout.¡± A voice called from upstairs. ¡°We appreciate your business.¡± With that Mrs. Gibbs left as quickly as she came. Mia turned to see a familiar set of green eyes and bright bushy red hair bound down the stairs. ¡°Pip!¡± Mia and Kate shouted in unison. ¡°What in the gods name are you two doing here? I¡¯m not late getting back am I?¡± ¡°We were just about to ask you the same question,¡± Mia laughed. Pip held out her fist for Mia, then embraced Kate as Lily looked between them in confusion. ¡°Pip is our last tent mate and friend from the Kings Guard.¡± ¡°This is my home. My mom and I have lived here ever since my Ba died when I was a wee lass. She runs the inn while Lorna, my aunt, runs the kitchen.¡± ¡°Pip, was it?¡± Lily asked. Pip nodded. ¡°Could you wait a moment?¡± Lily didn¡¯t wait for a response before she darted off back towards the bar. Mia looked between Kate and Pip, then shrugged. They all trudged up the stairs until they came to the third floor. There were four rooms, two on each side of the hall. The walls were colorful with bright pictures and plants strewn around everywhere. At the end of the hallway was the potroom, just as Mrs. Gibbs stated. The room was spacious with two large pots along the far wall. In the center were the wash stations. Kate took a look at one of the pots, then plopped down. Mia and Pip stared at her. Kate just shrugged and grunted as she continued. ¡°Kate you are positively disgusting!¡± Mia said half-heartedly as Kate explored the wash stations. Pip laughed. The trio walked out of the potroom, and Pip showed them where they would be sleeping. The room was simple. There were two beds on either side of the walls and a nightstand in between them. There was a dresser and writing desk near the door and a small chair in the corner. A candle was already burning on the writing desk and two lamps were fixed with candles onto opposite walls. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m bored. Pip, I need you to show us around. I¡¯m sure Lily can manage without us for a bit.¡± Kate said as she pulled both of them back out of the door. Mia smiled, she felt the same way. Ogden Ogden was beautiful at night, Mia thought to herself. There were festive lights everywhere. Colorful banners and sashes hung overhead as she looked at the vivacious people roaming the streets. There were street vendors everywhere, selling baked goods that smelled divine, beaded necklaces, colorful robes and cloaks¡ªand that was only what she could see so far. Mia approached a vendor that sold fresh bread that smelled like home. She produced a small brown pouch and paid the man in silver and copper coins. ¡°Where did you get that?¡± Kate demanded. ¡°I had it the whole time.¡± Mia said, side-eyeing her friend. Kate glared at her, then gave her a wry smile. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t going to let them take a whole gold crown off you.¡± Mia smiled as she stashed the pouch in her cloak securely on the opposite side of her book. ¡°Looks like you two are still the same.¡± Pip said, shaking her head. ¡°And don¡¯t think I don¡¯t hear that book clunking in your pocket Mia. I swear that thing is attached to your hip.¡± Mia rolled her eyes as Kate doubled up with laughter. Ogden was a small town on the outskirts of the Forest of Atrean. The town still held old traditions such as celebrating the summer and winter solstice as well as the festivals of Kel and Yaz that happened once a year. Mia smiled at her luck. The Festival of Kel was a seven-day long celebration and today was day one. The night seemed to be wrapping up for most of the shops and merchants. Kate kept probing Pip with questions, but Pip had few words other than, Just see for yourself. ¡°So, tell me, what brings you two all the way out here? I thought you lot stayed back for palace duty.¡± Mia and Kate shrugged as their faces fell. ¡°Uh uh, somethin¡¯s up, I can smell it on your faces.¡± Kate sighed. ¡°Mia has magic. Like actual magic. And I¡¯m pretty sure she was going to keep that secret from you, but I don¡¯t believe in secrets between friends.¡± ¡°Kate!¡± Mia exclaimed. ¡°Oh, come on, Mia, it¡¯s not like she wouldn¡¯t have figured it out¡ªI¡¯m just saving you the trouble of having to brood.¡± Mia blinked as Pip chuckled. Mia and Kate recounted the story of the palace, Alex''s kidnapping, and the events that followed. Pip''s eye''s went wide as she listened intently, then shook her head as they continued walking in silence. ¡°Looks like everything is closing up,¡± Pip observed, leading their way down the stone streets. ¡°Best head back and see if we can snag a snack from the kitchen.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just eat?¡± Kate asked, looking at Pip incredulously. Pip shrugged and as if on cue, her belly rumbled. Mia and Kate snickered as they made their way back to the inn. Mia saw the sign of the Goose Egg Inn as it burst into view. She noticed someone standing on the stairs outside. Kate and Pip must have noticed too, as they all quickened their steps. They reached the front of the inn just in time to see Mrs. Gibbs rushing towards them. ¡°Pip, I need you to come inside qui¡­¡± Pip¡¯s mother didn¡¯t have a chance to finish her sentence as a blast went off inside the inn. A loud boom followed and fire erupted from inside, shooting out of the doors and windows. The blast caught Pip¡¯s mom directly from the side, sending her flying into the air. Pip screamed as Mia was thrown off her feet in proximity to the blast, her head hitting hard against the pavement. She yelped, not able to see much in front of her. Attempting to stand, Mia¡¯s knees buckled and she was unable to focus. Her ears were ringing as she tried to make sense of what was happening. With a supporting arm on the ground, she steadied herself. Screams and wails filled the skies as red alerts kept cycling through her Akasha Vision. ¡°Akasha Vision¡­can you tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± Mia didn¡¯t know what to say, but she knew she had to do something. Nothing happened. She looked around and didn¡¯t see Kate or Pip. People were running and screaming from the inn, and the fumes made it almost impossible to see. Think, she thought to herself. ¡°Mia!¡± She heard Kate¡¯s voice through the chaos. Residents of the inn were still trying to escape. They called for loved ones that had yet to make it as buckets of water were being passed along from the local residents outside. Mia ran to Kate, who had flown a good 30 meters away. ¡°Where¡¯s Pip?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her. Everyone started pouring outside and I couldn¡¯t find either of you.¡± ¡°We need to see if we can find her, she might be looking for her mother.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Mia said frantically looking at Kate, ¡°Where¡¯s Lily?¡± Kate sucked in her breath as Mia ran into the building. She didn¡¯t have time to practice any other spells on their way into Ogden, as they hurried along to make it before dusk. Mia looked around to make sure there wasn¡¯t anyone who could see her before she cast her water whip. It was like trying to put out a barn fire with a tin cup. The backdraft of the fire started to get to her and fumes filled her lungs, making her cough hard as she made her way back to where she last saw Lily. Suddenly, four dark figures surrounded her, their faces covered by the diminishing fire and long hoods they wore. Her body began to pulse a soft white glow and she felt as if energy was draining from her body.
Akasha Vision Alert: Akasha Vision has detected seeker crystal in use, spirit element allows you to block jin detection? Block jin detection? Yes/No?
¡°She¡¯s one of them,¡± came a gruff voice from under one of the hoods.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Yes,¡± she barely managed to croak as the swords gleamed in the fire. Mia cast air blast to knock them off their feet, but it only seemed to make things worse. ¡°Mia, when I say run, run back towards the front door,¡± a voice shouted at her somewhere within the fiery smoke. She faintly recognized the voice and thought any option was better than this. Then another thought hit her. Mia could barely see in front of her, and she didn¡¯t know her surroundings. She wasn¡¯t sure where the front door was, or any door for that matter. ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away!¡± ¡°Run!¡± the guiding voice yelled. A burst of light shot into the group of shadowed figures, and she ran back in the direction she thought she had come from, the flames smoldering around her. Her lungs screamed at her for more oxygen, but she knew she couldn¡¯t inhale too much. She was coughing in spasms now, each one burning her throat as she frantically searched for an exit. To her relief, Lily¡¯s light beams moved towards her as she heard the voices of the invaders who were still in the room. She recognized their armor as the same ones worn by those who attacked the palace.
Akasha Vision Alert: Debuff in Effect - Burning Warning, you have a burning status inflicted. 1 percent hp deduction per 10s while status is ongoing.
Mia cursed to herself as she made it to the front door. She ran fast just before a large wooden beam broke, causing the inn to slowly cave in and collapse. I¡¯m right behind you, she thought she heard Lily say right as she jumped through the door, narrowly escaping the crumbling rock as it crashed down behind her. Mia looked up panting, her eyes wide from shock. She couldn¡¯t see Lily. People close by got caught by flying debris that crashed to the ground in waves. More chaos erupted around her as people tried desperately to escape. ¡°Lily!¡± Mia called out, but as far as she could see, there was no way back inside. She decided to change course and look for Kate and Pip. Maybe they could help her find a way back inside the inn, she thought. It was difficult to navigate her surroundings. She was weaving through families running away from the scene or trying to reunite with one another, attempting to determine who was unaccounted for. Some ran to get help, calling others to come aid those who were severely injured. Those who were unable to walk were either carried or left behind. ¡°Kate! Pip!¡± Mia shouted. ¡°Mia!¡± She recognized the faint voice in the distance. Mia ran towards it, avoiding the crumbling, smoke-filled rubble that was once the Goose Egg Inn. Mia found Kate and they both turned to look at the looming ruins of the inn. Screams and cries filled the night air as many were lost. Pip and Lily were still nowhere to be found. ¡°We need to go find them,¡± Mia said to Kate, who nodded in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s try to get to Lily first, she might still be trapped inside.¡± They dashed towards the inn in spite of others warning them against it. The fire had since stopped, but the smoke still billowed into the night sky. Acrid fumes filled her nostrils, causing her to cough more. Mia nudged Kate towards the back of the inn. The door was still intact as Kate kicked it in and they made their way inside. The walls were charred and still crumbling. Mia and Kate wrapped their hands in their cloaks, pushing aside large chunks of wall that was scattered in what used to be the hallway. Mia cast her air blast to clear away some of the debris. Mia yelled out for Lily. No response. Mia cast her fireball into her hand and it lit a small path forward. ¡°Mia, over here!¡± She heard Kate call out to her. She ran and saw Pip lying on the floor, unconscious. ¡°Let¡¯s get her outside,¡± Mia said as she scooped up Pip¡¯s limp body. They hurried out the way they came. ¡°Lily!¡± They both called out again just as they exited. Still nothing. They ran with Pip around to the front of the inn. Mia wished she had some sort of healing spell, just as the rest of the building came down in a pile of rubble. Kate cried out as those who were able to assist ran to help with Pip. Mia watched everything happen in slow motion around her. How did the invaders find them? She didn¡¯t know where they had gone in the chaos and hadn¡¯t seen them since. She thought about telling Kate but decided that making sure Pip woke up was the first priority. ¡°Lily has magic, she should be alright. Right?¡± Kate asked frantically as they stood next to Pip. Those with ability to do so did what they could to bring Pip back to consciousness. After what seemed like an eternity to her, Pip finally coughed and sputtered awake. Ash covered Pip¡¯s face as she looked at Mia, the sadness in her eyes unbearable. *** The next day, small camps of tents were set up to aid the injured as clouds covered the sky making the area look grey. The tents were set up in a large open field around the ruins of the inn in Ogden. Priest healers were sent from all seven churches around in Ogden and the nearby towns to bandage those they could and say prayers for those they couldn¡¯t. Surrounding villages and provinces also sent workers to help with the aftermath. Over one hundred rooms in the inn were full of patrons, many of them dying in the fire. There were almost just as many patrons in the restaurant downstairs. Nearby shops also caught fire, but thankfully, no one had been caught in them. The residents of Ogden were able to separate the rubble and pull out the remaining bodies. A priest insisted all three get treated for their wounds and sent them to a nearby tent. Mia had spent the better part of the day hoping Lily escaped. Even after all of the bodies were collected, Lily was still nowhere to be found. Some of the victims were unrecognizable, but Mia was sure that none of them were Lily. ¡°Do you think she used her portal thing to escape?¡± Kate asked, looking grimly at the priest who was bandaging her arm from the explosion. The priest raised an eyebrow before checking on Pip, who sat motionless, then moved on to tend to the next group of wounded. Mia paused as the priest left, she didn¡¯t see the flash of white light like she was used to with Lily¡¯s portals, but that wasn¡¯t to say she didn¡¯t use it after Mia jumped through the front door. ¡°I¡¯d like to think so, but there were invaders that I swore wore the same armor as the ones who invaded the palace.¡± Kate and Pip looked at her sharply. ¡°They knew I was an Akasha. It felt like they were trying to steal my magic before Lily shot out light blasts and I was able to escape.¡± Mia sighed. ¡°She said she was right behind me.¡± Kate shook her head. Pip¡¯s red swollen eyes looked hollow as Mia watched her friend. No words would come to ease her friends¡¯ pain so she decided to just sit with her. They all sat in silence as Mia watched families come to claim their dead or tend to their wounded. ¡°Piper Gibbs?¡± A tall slender priest wearing black robes walked in with a shorter priest by his side. Both wore a necklace with a large green symbol that looked like a tree on it. He held a book in his hand, but Mia wasn¡¯t familiar with any of the churches. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Master Lynn and this is Master Cho. We are from the Church of Kel and have been looking into what happened with the inn as requested by your town governor. I¡¯m sorry, lass, we still don¡¯t know what started the fire. We tried to do what we could, but I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothin¡¯ left.¡± The taller priest sighed. ¡°Let us know if ya need anything. May the gods be on your side.¡± With that, they left, and Pip was once again speechless. ¡°Pip, you know we¡¯re with you right?¡± Kate asked. Pip stared into the distance then sighed. ¡°She can talk when she¡¯s ready.¡± Pip held a blank stare, not acknowledging any of their words. Mia looked at Kate who shook her head. ¡°Still no sign of Lily, either. What do we do now?¡± Kate asked. Mia sighed. ¡°Lily made me promise to make it to Sagev. I plan on keeping that promise. I¡¯m hoping that somehow she got out and will meet us there.¡± ¡°What makes you think she made it out?¡± Pip quietly asked. Kate and Mia looked at each other. ¡°Lily has a way of getting out of dire situations.¡± Mia replied softly. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°What about Tess?¡± Kate interjected. ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll still come after us?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± Pip looked at Mia. ¡°I want to come with you,¡± she said. ¡°What? Why?¡± Kate asked astonished that Pip would ask. ¡°My ma and aunt were the only family I had left, and they¡¯re gone,¡± she managed to choke out. ¡°Going with you is the only plan I have until I figure something else out. Plus¡­Till Kingdom Come right?¡± Sagev
Akasha Vision Alert: Secret Quest Complete¨C Aid a Friend Quest level: Rare Your instinctive nature led you to helping a friend in need. Success Conditions: Save one fire victim. Reward: +1100 exp
Mia helped Pip take off the shreds of cloth that were wrapped around to cover her wounds. Dark purple bruises covered her legs and arms while burn marks covered the majority of her body. Pip shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Mia, I¡­¡± Pip started, but Mia held up her hand cutting her off. ¡°Let¡¯s get going. I need to find out how far Sagev is from here.¡± She said as Pip pulled out a mysterious cream from an even more mysterious pouch on her waist. She smothered the white cream on her burn marks before pulling down her long sleeves and pant legs. Pip smiled briefly before taking a deep breath. ¡°I want to take a look around before we leave. See if I can find anythin that I can take with me. Also, I know how to get to Sagev from here. It¡¯s a bit of a distance though. My family does a lot of business there, so I¡¯ve made the journey from here many times. I¡¯d say it takes around a fortnight.¡± Kate huffed as Mia nodded, then looked at Kate. ¡°Can you find supplies and meet us back here in an hour?¡± She asked Kate, handing her the brown pouch full of coins. ¡°Oh thank the gods! No offense Pip, but I can¡¯t do the sadness anymore. Sorry.¡± With that, Kate turned and walked away as fast as possible, heading down the narrow walkway from camp and onto the main road. Pip smiled, then shook her head. ¡°She never changes. Remember when the 6th squadron didn¡¯t return from their raid? She avoided all of us for a week.¡± Mia laughed. ¡°She wasn¡¯t the only one, Alex couldn¡¯t be found for a while after that either.¡± Pip turned to look at her. ¡°I know we only spoke about it briefly last night, but how are you doing about Alex. I know you two were¡­close.¡± Mia sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I take it so personally, but I do. I have this sense of responsibility that I can¡¯t let go of. Out of all the people in Neverron, those were my stepsisters who took him. My stepsisters who somehow have magic¡­and so do I, I guess.¡± Pip nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a lot.¡± Mia smiled as they entered back of the inn that had not fully collapsed. ¡°This used to be my favorite place,¡± Pip said to her quietly. Mia looked around. The enormous kitchen was completely blackened. The roof above was still intact, allowing them to pass cautiously through. Pip¡¯s face was like stone. Mia felt the pain her friend wouldn¡¯t show and was unable to stop her own tears. ¡°This is where me and me ma stayed,¡± Pip reminisced, pointing towards a small room tucked away in the corner. ¡°My ba passed away a few years ago and it¡¯s been her and I since then. We kept this inn going, along with my aunt, and so far it was going great.¡± Pip pointed towards another area that was impassible due to the rubble. ¡°That was my ba¡¯s workshop. He was a healer and often made ointments to sell in Sagev. I tried to keep his business going, but I wasn¡¯t as good at making the salve.¡± She paused then let out a weary smile, ¡°Come on, this way.¡± Speckles of sunlight passed through the small patches of stone, growing dim as they ventured further into the inn. Mia cast her fireball into her hand and saw Pip¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Pip said quietly as they made it to a tucked away closet on the far side of the first floor that hadn¡¯t collapsed. The closet was tiny. Fire damage charred most of the door, while large stones lay in front of it, blocking a clear way inside. Pip started digging through the rubble, trying to clear a path. Mia started moving rocks out of the way with her, until they were finally able to dig their way inside. ¡°This is what I was after last night. My bag.¡± She held the medium-sized brown sack gingerly against her, checking inside and smiling with a satisfied grin after. ¡°There¡¯s a few coin in here, in case we need it. I also have a few healing herbs and some more things.¡± Mia smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know your dad was a healer.¡± ¡°Well, you would if you weren¡¯t brooding all the time, let me talk for once.¡± Pip laughed as Mia scoffed in mock affront. They left the inn, rendezvousing with Kate. In a small plot of dirt nearby the inn, Pip laid her aunt and mother to rest. Mia, Kate, and Pip each placed a flower on their graves, then left through the gates of Ogden. The path to Sagev took them out of the forest and through cavernous mountains and hills. Mia practiced her spells against the rocky stone. She conjured water whips that she flung into the sides of the hills. She practiced the strength of the magic she conjured and experimented with how much power per spell she could increase or decrease. The scale varied. By flexing her jin, she focused on pouring more of her jin into the spells. Very soon, she realized that using too much jin was not a good idea when she went flying backwards, crashing into a boulder after casting her air blast at full strength. "Mia, I swear to the gods I¡¯m going to ban you from magic.¡± Kate exclaimed, as Pip rubbed salve down her bruised back and shoulders. Mia huffed. ¡°I second¡­I can¡¯t keep doing this, Mia. I¡¯m running out of salve and we aren¡¯t even there yet.¡± Mia stuck out her tongue as they all laughed and settled down into a cave, Mia made sure wasn¡¯t a surprise dungeon. As Kate and Pip slept, Mia decided to check her status page and was shocked at what she saw.
Akasha Vision: Akasha Status Page. Name: Mia Bridgewater Race: Akasha Element: Spirit Core Level: 5 ¨C 1100/8000 exp to next level. Health: 350/350 HPR: 5 hp/s Jin: 300/300 JRR: 5 jn/s Power Level: Legendary Spells unlocked: 3/7 System Inventory: 4/10 Attributes: Strength: 10 Dexterity: 12 Intelligence:15 Wisdom: 11 Constitution: 12 Charisma: 15 Luck: 11 Spells: Fireball ¨C Novice -Level 3 Water Whip ¨C Novice- Level 3This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Air Blast ¨C Novice ¨C Level 3 Skills: Combat Specialist ¨C Novice ¨C Level 3 Sleight of Hand ¨C Novice ¨C Level 3 Songbird ¨C Novice ¨C Level 1 Spirt Mode ¨C Novice ¨C Level 5 Abilities: Linguist ¨C Language Translator - Passive Examine ¨C Examine magical sentient or non-sentient objects or creatures-Passive Skill Master ¨C Learn an unlimited number of skills-Passive Absorb Jin ¨C Novice ¨C Level 5
*** They traveled through the mountains for almost a fortnight. There hadn¡¯t been much trouble since Ogden, which Mia was grateful for. She was not too happy that she did not receive a single quest on their way to Sagev, stalling her progression in her levels. Mia grunted. It was their last night sleeping in a cave according to Pip, as Sagev was less than a day¡¯s journey away. The caverns were abundant. They used them as cover at night while they slept. Each took turns for night watch, making sure they weren¡¯t followed or that nothing in the forest crept up on them. On her watch, Mia used the time to practice, noticing that even though her spells weren¡¯t leveling, her precision and jin channeling was getting better. She gave up, deciding to go through her sword forms. She breathed slowly as she watched Kate and Pip who were asleep a little bit further in the cave. She smiled to herself, but her warm feelings were short-lived as she was alerted by the sound of a low growl behind her. She slowly turned around and saw the glowing eyes of a mountain lion returning her gaze. The beast leapt at her but Mia darted away quickly. She cast her fireball at the beast which made it roar in anger and rush out of the cave. Kate and Pip were quick on their feet and rushed out of the cave after it, neither one armed. That didn¡¯t matter to Kate, though. ¡°I¡¯m going around it to lure it away from the cave,¡± Kate said as she rushed away. ¡°Kate, wait.¡± Mia called after her before she came slunking back. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here and move further away. That way we might be able to make it to Sagev before breakfast is over.¡± Mia said enticing her friends. ¡°You had me at breakfast.¡± Pip said as they started to gather what little they had with them. The next day, they made their way to Sagev without stopping, not in fear of anything else attacking, but in need of a good night¡¯s sleep. They finally got to Sagev in the late morning. Sagev was massive, the streets of the town were full of people. Peddlers from different lands sold their wares, filling the air with shouts of ¡°Come and get it,¡± to ¡±That¡¯s too much!¡± Kate¡¯s eyes lit up as she saw a baker selling fresh scones at one of the shops. ¡°I know we have to make it to your guild thing, but shopping first. Let¡¯s split up. You two are too slow and boring.¡± Kate insisted. Mia and Pip shrugged. After spending the better part of fourteen days in the wilderness, she wanted to hunt for supplies in a shop and not on the mountain floor. They agreed to meet back in the same spot by midday. Mia and Pip wandered around until they found a handy shop on a side street. ¡°Welcome my friends to Habib¡¯s Extraordinary Consignments where we carry nothing but the finest merchandise.¡± Mia¡¯s eyes lit up as she looked around the store. ¡°Kate¡¯s going to be sorry she missed this,¡± she said as she walked around the store admiring the short and long swords that hung on the walls. ¡°I see you have a good eye for swords,¡± Habib said without missing a beat, ¡°Let me show you what I have in the back.¡± He left with a sweep of his robe. ¡°Whatever you see, you don¡¯t want it!¡± Pip hissed to her as Habib left and returned just as quickly. ¡°Here we are, my friends!¡± Habib said with a flourish. His brown mustache seemed to twitch in excitement. ¡°This is a one-of-a-kind short sword all the way from Dragon Island. It is said to even be magical. I do want to say that this sword was very hard to acquire. I can¡¯t let it go for any less than sixteen hundred gold crowns.¡± Mia¡¯s mouth flew open. ¡°Now before you object,¡± Habib continued, ¡°This is a very good price.¡± He waggled his finger as Pip rolled her eyes. Mia smiled widely.
Akasha Vison Alert: New Quest - Haggle the Haggler Quest Level: Uncommon You are in need of new gear and need to haggle a price. Success Conditions: Reduce cost spent on goods by 10% or greater from base price. Quest Failure or Refusal:+25% markup debuff on all future goods at this store. Reward: +500 exp Accept? Yes/No?
¡°What?¡± Mia said out loud unexpectedly. ¡°I assure you, miss, this is a very good price and I can tell that it was made to be by your side.¡± Mia smiled, observing. This time, she noticed the hesitation in Habib¡¯s eyes. Mia used her examine ability.
Akasha Vision Alert: Warning - Examine Ability cannot be used on non-magical item.
Mia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no, thank you.¡± She turned and headed for the door with Pip beaming in tow. ¡°Actually, for you miss, I have something better.¡± Habib shouted after them. ¡°I can tell by that gleam in your eye that you are looking for something rare. This¡­¡± Habib said while pulling a long golden box from under the solid wooden table in front of him. ¡°This was made for you.¡± He opened the box and held up a gleaming green short sword that had a golden hilt with a small green gem nestled into the center. The sword was around two feet long and the hilt fit into her hand perfectly. Mia used her examine ability.
Akasha Vision Alert: Examine Activated Item: Sword of the Favored Class: Epic Effect: +10 to luck *This sword can rank. Current Rank:1 Would you like to equip Sword of the Favored? Yes/No?
Mia held in her gasp as she set the sword on the counter. ¡°What else do you have?¡± Mia asked, smiling at the shocked owner. ¡°What else might you be looking for, miss?¡± Habib asked questioningly. ¡°I guess mainly supplies.¡± ¡°Ahh,¡± said Habib, ¡°I have just the thing.¡± He disappeared and reappeared with a plain brown sack that had two straps so that it could fit on her back. ¡°This,¡± he said, showing the item to Mia, ¡°¡­is also said to have magical properties. This bag may look small, but it holds more than you could ever dream of.¡± He paused. ¡°I can let it go for six silver coins.¡± Mia looked at the bag.
Akasha Vision Alert: Examine Activated Item: Bag of Feast. Class: Ultra Rare Item slots: 20/20 Effect: This bag can store food items in a non-perishable state *This item can be absorbed into your system inventory creating additional slots and abilities. Would you like to equip the bag of feast? Yes/No?
She paused, distracted. ¡°I can assure you, miss, this bag is more than it seems.¡± Habib furrowed his eyebrows until they almost touched each other. Mia smiled, ¡°Three silver coins.¡± Habib hesitated. ¡°I cannot let it go for anything less than five.¡± ¡°Four.¡±
Akasha Vision Alert: Quest Complete Reward: +500 exp
Habib huffed then shook his head in agreement.
Akasha Vision Alert: Skill Master Activated - New Skill unlocked Haggle Haggle prices for the cost of goods Haggle ¨C Novice- Level 1-Passive Effect: -4% to the cost of goods.
Mia grinned. Pip and Mia spent the next hour at the shop, going over Habib¡¯s wares. They ended up leaving with three bed packs and enough food to last at least a fortnight. They thanked Habib and walked out, leaving him scoffing as they left. Mia equipped the bag of feast into her system inventory after they left the shop. She put the items they purchased into her storage space and smiled from ear to ear. They neared the rendezvous point only to find Kate in an argument with one of the town¡¯s guards. ¡°Kate!¡± Mia exclaimed as they ran to her. ¡°It is absolutely ridiculous to charge a whole silver coin for a sandwich! It¡¯s a sandwich for gods sake!¡± ¡°Miss, please calm yourself¡± The guard said in a flat tone before he whistled for another guard to come over. The other guard was twice the size of the first, towering over everyone. ¡°What seems to be the trouble, miss?¡± The guard said in a deep, gruff voice. The ground started shaking beneath them and shouts could be heard coming through the streets. ¡°What in the blazes?¡± The first guard said as both guards turned to run in the direction of a now stampeding crowd of people. The naying of horses and the violent slashing of swords could be heard from a distance. Kate, Pip, and Mia looked at each other then ran after the guards. Before they left Habib¡¯s shop, Mia went back to negotiate the sword again. After her skill of haggling kicked in and her charisma gave a boost to her skill, she was able to talk him down to a more reasonable price. After all, she needed something if her powers failed her. Habib was generous and threw in a pair of daggers for an additional two silvers as well. Mia shrugged. She wanted something for Kate and they weren¡¯t magical, just shiny silver blades with obsidian black hilts. That was all of the money she had in the pouch from the guard in Ogden. Mia was not mad at the trade. They ran down the side of a long wide road as hoards of people ran screaming in the opposite direction. They watched the two guards they were following mix into the fray of the battle as Mia watched in horror at the scene unfolding before her eyes. That can¡¯t be right, Mia thought to herself as she swore she saw rock boulders hurling directly at the escaping citizens. Horror suddenly dawned on her face. ¡°We need to find another way!¡± Mia said to her two friends. She suddenly made a sharp left, going down a side alley that led away from the main road. Mia kept running zigzagging through side streets with Kate and Pip in tow. Kate was in stride with Mia, Pip not far behind, trying to keep pace with them both. ¡°Wait,¡± Mia said, stopping and ducking behind a large garbage bin. She panted. ¡°We need to go, Mia. You know who those people are¡­¡± Kate said in a stern voice. Pip had joined her in returning to Mia and looked between the two of them. ¡°Who are they?¡± Pip asked. ¡°The invaders from the dungeon.¡± Mia replied in a hushed tone as more Akasha fought Sagev guards just ahead of them. ¡°Why are they here? Now?¡± Pip said in a low, shocked voice. Mia took a deep breath as she looked between Kate and Pip. ¡°I say we help. We are still Kings Guard it¡¯s the least we could do¡­¡± Mia said, pulling out the daggers from her system inventory and handing them to Pip. ¡°No need,¡± Pip said pulling out a foldable bow and quiver from her bag. ¡°Where did you get that? And what are those?¡± Kate asked, her voice raising to a loud whisper. ¡°Habib offered me an excellent price for being a loyal friend of one of his highest paying customers,¡± Pip said, smiling cheerfully. Mia huffed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t so bad,¡± Mia grumbled as Pip chortled a laugh. ¡°Who¡¯s Habib?¡± Kate said, her eyes now staring at the sword in Mia¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡± Mia said with a grin, as she ran towards the nearest fight and unleashed her magic. Pip and Kate huffed as they ran after her. Fight Me The town center was pure chaos. The cloud coverage overhead was lit with red as fire spells along with water, air, and earth erupted around her. Lifeless bodies were strewn across the roads as Sagev guards fought the onslaught of magical attacks from the invading Akasha. The Sagev guards proved to be no match as they all started to fall one after one. The remaining guards fell into a defensive position, placing themselves between the invaders and what remained of the Sagev residents. Mia drew her sword. While they were traveling to Sagev, Kate put her and Pip through combat drills with sticks. At least, Kate had called them combat drills. Torture drills was more accurate in her mind. The amount of near fatal wounds almost slowed their travel. Luckily, Pip was well versed in healing herbs, although some of them gave her a rash for days. Mia was grateful, nonetheless. ¡°Kate!¡± Mia shouted as an Akasha shot water arrows towards Kate and Pip. Mia returned the attack with an air blast, hitting the Akasha directly in the center of their silver chest plate. Kate spun and dodged the incoming attack, while blocking another. Pip stayed in the rear and shot off arrows from the background, something Pip often did in the Kings Guard. Mia watched briefly as Kate brandished the two daggers she gave her and put her Kings Guard training to use. Mia¡¯s eyes left Kate as she saw a woman and little boy trying to get away as fast as they could from the battles around them. Unfortunately, one Akasha spotted them and snarled. Mia quickly threw out a fireball, which knocked the Akasha off their feet. ¡°Witch.¡± The woman turned and hissed at Mia with a terrified look on her face, rushing the boy faster down the cobblestone road. The woman had a terrible hobble not allowing her to go any faster than a brisk walk. The boy jogged along side her until they turned a corner and vanished out of sight. Mia took a deep breath then turned around to head back towards the main fight. Ash, dust and rubble were in abundance all around. The buildings that once stood tall were ablaze with fire, the Akasha invaders tearing through them like a storm. Mia grit her teeth, closing her eyes briefly, and breathing in and out. She opened her eyes then cast her water whip, knocking out five of the dozen oncoming invaders. Another two went down as she cast her air blast. The remaining Akasha paused approaching her more cautiously now. Mia did a doublecheck of her jin. That blast cost her almost half of what she could use. She would need to be careful with how she used the rest. She didn¡¯t want to accidently overdo it and end up paying the price in the end. Fire darts hurled her way as she narrowly avoided them. Mia felt the ground beneath her begin to quake as the other Akasha finally reached her and their swords clashed. The first came barreling down on her, yelling in rage as she easily avoided his advance and gave him a quick knock on the head with the hilt of her sword dropping him to the ground. Mia¡¯s smile was premature as she was slammed in the side by a blast of water sending her flying into a nearby wall. Mia spattered as she slowed to get up, before being sent backwards by another water blast. Her Akasha Vision littered her view with bright red alerts, which she mentally sent to the back of her mind. She coughed up blood before she saw the Akasha advancing on her before they started falling to the ground one by one. Kate was a blur as she used her daggers to slice through the Akasha. Arrows flew through the air, hitting Akasha in the shoulders or torso. Not enough to keep them down, but it gave Mia the time she needed to recover and counterattack with her friends. Mia quickly checked her jin and saw that she had less than half left. She decided not to waste it and chose to use her combat skills instead. She swung her sword at the nearest Akasha, their swords clanging loudly as sparks flew into the air. Mia pushed the attacker back with her sword, then spun around their attack swinging upwards and catching them off guard. Mia used their momentum against them and sliced down, cutting the attacker in the back of the neck. Mia pivoted turned, shooting an air blast at an attacker approaching from her blind spot. An arrow quickly flew into the attacker making him scream as blood pooled around him. ¡°Mia! Watch out!¡± Kate yelled as boulders twice her size came hurling towards her. Mia conjured her water whips and struck the boulders head on, smashing them to pieces as Kate and Pip dodged more oncoming attacks. Kate¡¯s footing was just as good as always, Mia thought to herself as she watched her slice the throat of another invader as they sent a fireball in her direction. ¡°I eat fireballs for breakfast,¡± Kate stated as the man gargled on his blood. Pip sent an arrow into one of the last invaders as Mia sliced downwards sending the head of the invader tumbling sideways with a thud. ¡°Let¡¯s join the remaining guards and see if we can at least help everyone get to safety.¡± Mia said as she heard cries for help echoing around her. ¡°Where Mia? This whole gods damned town is on fire.¡± Kate replied as she briskly cleaned off her daggers. Pip collected arrows quickly before they all turned to head towards the loudest screams. ¡°Well, well, well...my little Cinderella, what are you and your two little mice doing here?¡± An ice-cold voice, she knew all too well, hit her like a storm from behind. Mia turned around slowly and came face to face with the woman of her worst nightmares. ¡°To think, the rogue Akasha turns out to be you.¡± Her stepmother¡¯s low-pitched voice dripped with disdain as she slowly closed the gap between them. Kate and Pip moved closer to Mia, Pip drawing an arrow as Kate gripped her daggers tightly. Mia¡¯s heart skipped a beat, sweat rushing from every pore on her body, as she started to shake uncontrollably. ¡°No¡­it can¡¯t be.¡± Kate looked at her sharply, her eyes piercing even in her peripherals. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s your¡­¡± ¡°Stepmother,¡± Mia whispered, not believing the sound escaping her lips. ¡°It¡¯s Madame LeRant to you,¡± she sneered. ¡°Cinderella.¡± Each syllable dug into her skin like a snake unleashing its venom. Mia started moving backwards while her stepmother slowly continued to approach, like a predator stalking its prey. ¡°What are you doing here, Clarissa?¡± Mia managed to stammer out, just before her heel tapped a large stone wall behind her. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Clarissa now,¡± she said, mocking her tone. ¡°My how you¡¯ve grown up.¡± ¡°Do something Mia! Or else I will.¡± Kate spat. Mia felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. She glanced at Pip as she aimed her bow directly at Clarissa. Clarissa laughed in a low-pitched chuckle, then curled her lip as a wall of stone erupted from the ground encasing the four of them inside. Mia countered and cast air blast, knocking her stepmother backwards. Clarissa grunted, then laughed. ¡°You¡¯re still a fool.¡± she said, then sent giant boulders hurling at Mia. Mia used her water whip to break down the boulders like before, but this time, an arrow pierced through her stepmothers shoulder causing her to scream in agony as the boulders dropped suddenly with loud thuds.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Mia couldn¡¯t move. Kate ran past her, with her daggers out, side stepping the obstacles on the ground. ¡°Get it together!¡± Kate yelled angrily as Clarissa quickly recovered and drew a long sword as her blade met Kate¡¯s. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Pip gave her a faint smile as she released more arrows. Most of them flying over her stepmothers head as she and Kate fought toe to toe. Mia couldn¡¯t pull herself into the fight, no matter how hard she tried. Clarissa finally gained the upper hand on Kate when rock pellets flew out of her hand sending Kate flying backwards, then motionless. Mia eyes went wide with shock, then anger overcame her. She lashed at her stepmother with her sword, but her steps were not in sync. She tried to get back into form, but her stepmother¡¯s laugh made it hard to concentrate. ¡°You¡¯re still as weak as ever.¡± Clarissa grinned, then kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying backwards. A boulder hit her hard in the head, but not before she cast her air blast to knock the majority of it out of the way. She felt the blood run down her face as Clarissa stopped to cackle. Suddenly, the ground beneath them started to shake violently, the wall of stone around them breaking down instantaneously. Clarissa yelled as the large stone crashed down on top of her, burying her beneath. Pip ran and grabbed Kate, putting her over her shoulder then nodded at Mia. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here and get some help!¡± Pip had spoken too soon as large stones shattered into the air, Clarissa heaving as she climbed the rest of the way out of her rock coffin. The pieces of stone cut into her armor, slicing her gear and skin underneath. They ran as Clarissa gave them chase. Mia could barely see, they were still faster. They turned a nearby corner and ducked into one of the abandoned buildings. Mia and Pip gasped for air as she heard the close shouts of her stepmother. Mia checked her jin. It was flashing red at 3%. She had ignored her Akasha Vision Alerts, already having set it to not interrupt her while in combat. She wished she hadn¡¯t. Mia wiped the blood from her face as a headache pounded in her skull, making her cry out in agony. ¡°This would happen when I¡¯m all out of salve too.¡± Pip whispered. Mia could barely understand anything. She felt like her consciousness was wavering from the present to the darkness. ¡°Listen¡­¡± Pip said quietly as she turned her head to hear outside of the building more clearly. Her stepmother¡¯s laugh pierced the air around them. Mia took a deep breath, then glanced at Pip who shrugged. Kate still hadn¡¯t woken up. Mia knew they had to find a way out, but she wasn¡¯t sure that was possible. Unexpectedly, her stepmother screamed. Shouts could be heard all around her but she couldn¡¯t make out anything coherent. She looked down and noticed she was losing a lot of blood. Her jin was out and not replenishing fast enough. ¡°Someone¡¯s in here!¡± Mia heard a voice close to her. Blurry faces came into view before everything went black. *** Lily woke up in a daze. Her hands and feet chained to a stone wall. She had a rag in her mouth which made her choke on her spit. She gathered herself and shook the chains ferociously, unable to use her Akasha Vision. She cursed herself for not putting it back into mental command mode after training with Mia. Lily looked around but the room was poorly lit, most of it in shadows. She took a deep breath and focused on conjuring a light wisp to hopefully give her a better view of where she was. No luck. Her powers were blocked, which could only mean one thing. ¡°Tess.¡± she thought to herself, anger spreading across her face. *** ¡°Miss, miss, are you alright¡± a voice said to her, but she didn¡¯t recognize it. Mia sat up and looked around. She was in an all-white room surrounded by people in what seemed like uniformed robes, something she only saw in the infirmary. Some were wearing green robes, while others wore blue or yellow. She guessed it was based on whatever they were doing, but she didn¡¯t bother to ask. She looked around and finally saw Kate. Kate was talking to a person with a blue robe and long brown hair. The person looked annoyed, and Mia could only guess as to why. She groaned. Where was Pip? That thought left in a hurry as the weight of her fight with her stepmother was coming back like a crushing wave and her body ached. Why was her stepmother there? Lily not being there gave her no answers to her questions. She felt lost. ¡°Miss, can I get your name?¡± Mia blinked then looked at the person with a yellow robe speaking with her. She had a kind face with long brown hair and soft blue eyes. ¡°Mia,¡± she said softly, still wincing in pain. ¡°I¡¯m Sho Risia. Are you alright? You suffered a lot of damage, but you seem to be healing very fast. Mia shrugged. She still felt like someone had hit her with a cart though, then remembered the rocks Clarissa pelted at her. She had to get some answers. ¡°Yes, but where are we?¡± Mia asked. ¡°You, my young Akasha, are safe in the Branch of the Tree¡± she responded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Sho Risia looked at her and smiled again. ¡°You will know soon enough. The Grand Admiral is anxious to meet you. He is on his way here now.¡± She patted Mia on the shoulder, then walked away to speak with another person in a blue robe. ¡°Wait, the who?¡± Mia called out before a spasm of pain overwhelmed her. She grumbled to herself. She needed to find them a way out of there and fast. She sighed to herself, then looked around again, noticing Kate had vanished from her sight. Mia groaned again.
Akasha Vision Alert: New Quest ¨C Find the Prince I Quest level: Epic The prince of Talis has been taken by unknown forces. Due to your sworn oath, your instinctual nature has led you to find the lost prince. Success Conditions: Find the lost prince of Talis. Quest Failure or Refusal: Unknown Reward: Unknown Accept? Yes/no?
¡°Ok,¡± she thought to herself. She really needed answers. Why was she just getting this quest now? ¡°Mia!¡± Kate exclaimed, pushing people to the side as she came rushing over. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡± Mia gave her an awkward grin. ¡°Did you find out anything?¡± Kate asked, already starting her probing. ¡°Only that we are in some place called The Branch of the Tree, or something like that. They also know that I¡¯m an Akasha.¡± Mia said as she tried to get to her feet. She stumbled and fell into Kate, who promptly held her up. ¡°Same thing I was told,¡± Kate replied as she tried to help her get stable. ¡°Have you seen Pip?¡± Mia asked, still scanning the room. ¡°Yeah¡± Kate said nonchalantly. ¡°She¡¯s over there with green robes lot in the other room. I think they grow plants or something like that.¡± Kate shrugged. ¡°Wait, you know what the colors of the robes mean?¡± Kate shook her head. ¡°I think the blue robes have been going around asking everyone if they were alright. They seem to be the ones wrangling the cattle. The green ones have potions of some sort and I heard them talking about growing plants, so Pip was talking to that group, but their station is in the other room. This room is controlled by the blue robes, and the last room no one will let you into, but that¡¯s where the yellow robes mainly are. I think they are healers of some sort. I saw someone fix someone¡¯s arm. I blinked and it was like nothing had happened to it, when it was falling off of his shoulder a second ago, Kate shook her head . ¡°I just don¡¯t understand it.¡± Mia looked up and saw Pip heading towards her, a big grin on her face. ¡°Mia, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re finally awake¡± ¡°Wait, how long was I out?¡± ¡°About a day and a half.¡± Pip responded quietly. Mia threw her hands on her face in disbelief. ¡°Ughhh,¡± she groaned. ¡°You lost a lot of blood, Sho Alana gave you a potion to help you recover what you lost, but you were still out for a few days. The Ki, the ones in the yellow robes, stitched up your wounds. Some were worse than others.¡± Pip said then looked back towards the other room. ¡°The Jurens, or the green robes, are the ones who give out the potions to all of the patients. They work with the Ki to set up a healing plan. The Yi, the blue robes, are the ones that organize everyone and makes sure everyone is getting the care they need. I love this place!¡± Pip said with a huge smile. ¡°At least they seem efficient, most of the wounded here are survivors of Sagev. The town fell to the invaders.¡± Mia shook her head and sighed. She couldn¡¯t find the energy to be sad about it, just frustrated that of all people, her stepmother was an Akasha and there in Sagev. They all looked up as Sho Risia returned and greeted them with a slight bow. ¡°I have news, the Grand Admiral has arrived and is ready to speak with you.¡± The Guild ¡°This is a terrible idea.¡± Kate said to Mia as Sho Risia waited to escort them to the Grand Admiral. ¡°We don¡¯t even know what a Grand Admiral is or what they want with us. How do they even know who we are?¡± ¡°The Grand Admiral is the head of this Akasha branch.¡± Sho Risia interrupted. Mia glanced at Pip who shrugged. ¡°We won¡¯t get any of those answers if we don¡¯t speak with him,¡± Pip responded. ¡°Follow me, then.¡± Sho Risia turned and led them out of what Mia now knew to be the healing ward. The building was huge. Countless corridors littered the hallways that were dozens of floors high as she led them to the Grand Admirals office. ¡°What do you guys do here?¡± Kate asked looking around at the sheer vastness of the office space. ¡°The Grand Admiral will explain¡­but if you are wondering, this place is protected by a magical barrier that the Grand Admiral controls. Trust me, you¡¯re in good hands.¡± Sho Risia turned her head and smiled, not stopping her pace. She led them down a long passageway where two guards stood in front of large dark oak double doors. ¡°State your business with the Grand Admiral.¡± One of the guards said in an uninterested voice. ¡°I am Sho Risia escorting Mia, a new Akasha, and her team to see the Grand Admiral.¡± She said in an almost uniform tone. The guard looked Mia up and down then produced a crystal from his pocket. He waved it in front of her and she started to glow, much like before. The guard raised an eyebrow at Sho Risia who nodded in return. ¡°Seriously, this place is stiff.¡± Kate stated grumpily. The guards opened the door to a massive sitting room with lush brown leather furniture and pictures that were skillfully organized on the walls. A large desk sat on one side of the room where a woman sat behind it. She was quaint, her brown hair was pinned up into a neat bun. She was wearing brown robes and had glasses with a chain dangling from them by her ears. ¡°Welcome warriors to the Grand Admiral¡¯s office. I am High Priestess Mena. His Excellency is expecting you. Please follow the guard to your left and up the stairs.¡± She gave a curt smile and went back to writing. The Grand Admiral¡¯s office was larger than Mia had ever imagined, and that was saying something considering the sitting room. The office was black with brown and gold accents that made the black all the more sleek. The room was brightly lit with candles burning on every wall. Thick round torches that Mia was sure Kate was considering using as a club. The Grand Admiral sat in a sizable plush chair that only seemed to accentuate his features all the more. He was bald with a chiseled chin and a dark caramel complexion. His smile was welcoming as he stood when they entered and came to a stop in front of his desk. ¡°Welcome, young warriors, I am so happy you could join me.¡± ¡°Cut to it, what¡¯s this all about.¡± Kate responded bluntly. The Grand Admiral let out a deep laugh. ¡°You must be Kate, it¡¯s a pleasure, I¡¯m Sir Marcus Maximus.¡± He gave her a slight bow and she huffed in return. ¡°How do you know who we are?¡± Pip asked. Mia wondered the same thing. ¡°The healers downstairs let me know. I¡¯m grateful for them. I¡¯m also glad we were able to get to you in time.¡± He gave them a bright smile. ¡°Sagev is safe for now.¡± ¡°What do you mean, for now?¡± Kate folded her arms as Mia remained silent, trying to take everything in. The room grew silent as Sir Marcus cleared his throat, ¡°If you¡¯ll allow me, I want to show you around.¡± Mia, Kate and Pip looked at each other before turning their attention back on the Grand Admiral. ¡°Why?¡± Mia tilted her head, as the question came as more of a whisper. ¡°Mia, did Lily ever talk to you about your powers, or where your magic came from?¡± Mia¡¯s face grew hard. ¡°Do you know where Lily is?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, but I would like to show you around and hopefully clarify your questions.¡± Mia looked between Kate and Pip. Kate shook her head back and forth to indicate ¡®no¡¯ vehemently, while Pip just shrugged. ¡°Sir Marcus, I need you to clarify how you know my godmother first.¡± Sir Marcus grinned. ¡°Very well.¡± He beckoned towards the door as the guard opened it to a smiling Sho Risia standing just outside. They followed him out and down the intricate hallway to the sitting room and out the second set of doors. The wooden panels on the walls gave way to large archways overhead, adored with rich golden tapestries that hung from the walls low to the ground. Each tapestry held a different symbol. Ones that she didn¡¯t recognize. At the end of the hallway were four shimmering waterfalls of light, each one a different color and catacorner to the other. In between the waterfalls of light were three more hallways that led to more colorfully lighted waterfalls. Mia used her examine ability, but nothing populated into her vision. ¡°Your powers won¡¯t work in here.¡± Sir Marcus grinned. ¡°This area has a magical barrier around it. Even your Akasha Vision is disrupted.¡± Mia turned sharply, ¡°What is this place?¡± ¡°A dungeon,¡± He replied, before adding, ¡°Specifically, a permanent dungeon.¡± Mia paused. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between a permanent dungeon and a temporary dungeon anyway?¡± Sir Marcus smiled before walking through the teal colored waterfall. ¡°I¡¯m not going in.¡± Kate said defiantly as she crossed her arms. ¡°Me either,¡± Pip agreed as she mimicked Kate¡¯s stance. Mia sighed. ¡°Fine, you two stay out here.¡± Mia turned and followed Sir Marcus through the teal waterfall, curious as to how the guild even knew about her existence.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. She was instantly nauseous as she stepped out of the waterfall, her Akasha Vision coming back to life as her alerts disoriented her view. She gagged as she heard Sir Marcus laugh heartily at her pain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mia, that gets everyone their first time through the dimensional doors. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Mia took a deep breath as Kate and Pip bounded in after her. They looked the worse for wear as they both started to regurgitate in heaves. They were in a giant library, filled from top to bottom with books on each side of the massively tall walls. Large oak writing desks were in neat rows in the middle with candlesticks burning on each one. Akasha in white and gold emboldened robes sat at the desks with mounds of books piled on top, scribing on parchment paper with jars of ink and quills all over. Mia¡¯s eyes grew wide at the sheer amount of books around her before she shook of her brief excitement and decided to go through her Akasha vision alerts while she waited on her friends to recover. One alert caught her attention.
Akasha Vision Alert: You have entered a dimensional dungeon.
¡°What¡¯s a¡­¡± ¡°Grand Admiral, welcome, we weren¡¯t expecting you.¡± A woman bowed deeply, then stretched her arms to showcase the other Akasha. ¡°Master Daley, a pleasure,¡± Sir Marcus nodded his greeting then smiled brightly as the other Akasha stood up and bowed as well. Sir Marcus turned back to Mia. ¡°Your godmother is a valuable member of our guild. We asked her to go on the mission to find you based on something one of Master Daley¡¯s scribes found.¡± He sighed. ¡°There¡¯s a prophecy¡­¡± ¡°Of course there¡¯s a prophecy,¡± Kate grumbled under her breath. Pip chortled a laugh. Sir Marcus smiled. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a prophecy¡­and one I might add that includes a spirit being with silver hair and purple eyes.¡± Kate and Pip turned towards Mia slowly before bursting out in laughter. ¡°What¡¯s the prophecy?¡± Mia asked hesitantly as Sir Marcus grinned. *** ¡°Where is it?¡± Another hard smack to the face sent Lily¡¯s head reeling to the side. She couldn¡¯t see out of her left eye and her right was closing fast. Lily coughed hard, then smiled. ¡°Oh come on Tess, you know I left my laundry at home, I haven¡¯t had a chance to wash it yet.¡± Another hard smack. ¡°We could have done this the easy way, Lil¡¯s, but you insist on making this more fun.¡± Tess looked at her with her face beaming. Lily returned her smile, and Tess smacked her again. Lily spat out blood onto the stone ground beneath her. ¡°I think I know a five year old that hits as hard as you Tess.¡± A rock chain formed around Lily¡¯s neck suffocating her. She gasped for breath only for the rocks to start cutting deeper into her flesh. Blood starting trickling out and Lily was helpless to do anything. Her hand and feet were tied so that her body was pretty much vertical, bound to a large wall in a stone circular chamber. ¡°That¡¯s enough Tess.¡± A gruff voice said from the shadows. Lily looked up and could make out multiple figures in the room that she hadn¡¯t seen before. The guards that Tess had were few compared to dozens of figures she now saw before her. Her bruises made them almost impossible to see fully though. That¡¯s why when the next blow hit her, she wasn¡¯t expecting it. *** ¡°The prophecy isn¡¯t something we can just share with you dear,¡± Master Daley replied. ¡°If you went through all of the trouble to find her and turn her magic on, why not just tell her the prophecy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not quite that simple, Kate,¡± Sir Marcus responded sternly. He sighed. ¡°The being is said to wield great power, but some of the words in the book were lost. I¡¯d rather find out the entire prophecy than to give it to her in parts.¡± ¡°But it was enough to find her and turn her magic on?¡± ¡°Yes, Kate, it was.¡± Mia sighed. ¡°What do you think Mia? Do you want to be prophetic?¡± Mia scoffed before pushing Kate to the side. Kate snickered a laugh. ¡°What else besides finding prophecies do you do in here?¡± ¡°These researchers scribe magical history and theory,¡± Master Hilda Daley said as she glanced over the shoulders of one of the transcribers. ¡°Do you know how Akasha Vision works?¡± ¡°That is something we have researched since the beginning.¡± Master Daley sighed. ¡°From what we have gathered, think of it as a switch. Akasha Vision, we believe, is sparked by the inherent natural elements that¡¯s engrained in every living soul. That element is what activates when you awaken your Akasha powers. We believe Akasha Vision to be a side effect of that. It seems to have a mind of its own as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already experienced.¡± Mia nodded. ¡°Good.¡± Master Daley smiled, then showed them through to another room. The room had nothing but two long bamboo sticks hanging on bare stone walls hanging in a cross pattern to the left. ¡°You wanted us to see two sticks?¡± Kate asked as they walked in. ¡°Just wait,¡± Sir Marcus said as looked intently at the wall. Kate grumbled about her patience, before cloaked figures appeared through the wall right in front of them. The trio jumped in surprise as more figures started to appear. The Grand Admiral chuckled. ¡°I love watching peoples¡¯ faces when they do that, freaks them out every time.¡± Kate huffed again and Pip was physically frazzled, her shocked stare still on her face. ¡°This is one of our weapons training teams. They like to be dramatic. They all have an ability called ¡®blend in shadows¡¯ which allows them to become one with their environment. Essentially our senses are blind to them, almost as if they weren¡¯t there.¡± ¡°Grand Admiral, welcome.¡± ¡°Thank you Sho Ventin.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Mia interrupted. ¡°Why are you showing me this?¡± Sir Marcus flashed another grin. ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked. Follow me.¡± Sir Marcus walked directly into the stone wall with the bamboo sticks. Curiously, Mia followed and was greeted by a long table full of people with people wearing elaborately colorful robes. ¡°Mia, Pip, Kate, let me introduce you to everyone in the room. To my left, this is Master Morena, she is an esteemed Akasha who specializes in weapons, mainly long and short swords. Next to her, is Master Rogan. He is a master of crystals and alchemy. Next, we have Master Orin, he is an expert in ancient language and history, and finally this is Dynes Grand who is the headmaster of The House of Jin, our private training school for young Akasha. ¡° ¡°Wait, what?¡± Kate said in response. ¡°Mia, we would like for you to join us at the House of Jin, where we can teach you about your powers and how to wield them to your best capability.¡± Dynes Grand said. She was a short, stoutly woman that looked as if she was no-nonsense. The permanent frown she wore on her face seemed as if it had been plastered there for decades. Her voice was slow and deep, as if you were waiting for someone to gather their words as they were speaking to you. She spoke in clipped tones and Mia was reminded of the old housemaid that ran her father¡¯s home. She was also no-nonsense, but everyone loved her anyway. Mia¡¯s face flushed, she had never been to school before. ¡°Mia, we heard how you all stepped in to help save Sagev. That was very brave. I even heard you went up against a member of the Oya Guild, that was even more brave.¡± Master Orin said. His smile was warm. He had short salt and pepper hair and light blue eyes. The wrinkles that creased his eyelids showed he was aging well. Master Rogan and Master Morena looked as if they were the younger of the four. Mia shook her head again. ¡°The guild of Oya are Akasha members who have broken from the ancient traditions and wish to bring harm to the human world through magic. We need all the help we can get to keep balance between the magical world and the human world,¡± Dynes Grand stated curtly. ¡°Now, before we get into any more detail, Mia, I need to know your answer. Would you accept our invitation to join the House of Jin?¡± Mia thought about it for a moment before she responded. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± Dynes Grand said raising an eyebrow. ¡°I can¡¯t leave my friends, plus we still need to find Lily and our missing prince. I¡¯ve gotten this far, I can keep going.¡± Mia responded. ¡°Mia, wait,¡± Pip¡¯s accent flooded the room and her face flushed from the attention. ¡°I think you need to go, you need to build your strength, it will only help you.¡± Mia looked at Pip thoughtfully. Pip was usually the voice of reason between them. Which is why her saying this made her pause. Should she? Dynes Grand looked at Mia, Kate, and Pip with an unreading expression on her face. It¡¯s like she¡¯s been playing cards all her life and was a master of disguise. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what.¡± She said in her monotone accent. ¡°We have a few non-magical researchers at the House. If you two want to join that will be a welcome addition. I do want to tell you. We work hard, and don¡¯t take no for an answer. We are also willing to use force if necessary for cooperation.¡± She smiled and showed horribly stained and crooked teeth. Kate winced and Pip¡¯s face flushed again. Mia could only smile at the gesture. ¡°Would you give us a moment?¡± Mia asked. ¡°She¡¯s going.¡± Kate replied and rolled her eyes. ¡°Pip¡¯s right. There is something going on that I don¡¯t understand, and you may be our only hope.¡± Kate smiled then added, ¡°Oh child of prophecy.¡± Mia flashed her a look and received one in return. Mia rolled her eyes. She looked at Pip and Pip nodded in agreement with a huge smile across her face. ¡°Well, I guess we accept your offer.¡±