《Tyrant Reborn (Don&#x27;t Destroy the World)》


 1 - Return

    Am I really going to kill my best friend?

    Ember looked down at her arm. It protruded from Viera''s stomach, a testament that she had already gone too far. Her fingers clutched the golden core inside the other woman. It burned in her hand.

    "I''m sorry," Ember said softly.

    Viera laughed, the sound wet and bitter. "No, you''re not."

    Ember didn''t say anything. What could she say? There was no use trying to make excuses with her hand in Viera''s gut. There were so many emotions going through her - anger, sadness, regret. The strongest was resignation.

    She peered down at her best friend. Viera''s long red hair was splayed around her. Her pale skin was painted with blood. She was a person Ember had trusted. And Viera had betrayed her. Ember searched the woman''s eyes, looking for something. Viera''s gold eyes met Ember''s brown ones.

    "You really mean it?" Viera''s voice was weak but there was a hint of disbelief.

    Ember nodded.

    Time hung between them as Viera''s face twisted in a mix of pain and confusion. Ember waited though she didn''t know what she waited for. Or maybe she didn''t want to admit what she was hoping for. The drip of Viera''s blood hitting the wooden floors filled Ember''s ear. It was so loud.

    Viera let out a sigh. "It doesn''t matter."

    Ember ached at hearing those words but she didn''t deny them. It didn''t matter. It was already too late.

    She ripped the core from Viera''s body. The woman screamed. The scream echoed in the room, continuing even after Viera''s eyes faded from gold back to their natural blue, even after her body began to grow cold.

    Ember sat, listening to that scream for a very long time.

    How much time had passed? She wasn''t sure. Eventually, she looked down at the golden core in her hand. It pulsed. She clenched her fist, shattering it into pieces. Ember stood up.

    It was time to take care of the others. Tonight, would be a long and bloody night.

    ----

    When Ember opened her eyes, she wasn''t too surprised to find herself lying on a straw mat in the drab room she shared with her younger brother. Raising one hand showed that her arm was small and skinny, a contrast to the tone and healthy arm she had before.

    "I must have died," she mumbled to herself. She frowned at the sound of her voice. It was the sound of a twelve-year-old girl. A girl whose life would soon be taking a turn for the worse unless she tried to change it...again.

    It was her third life. Technically her fourth if she counted the modern life in the US she had before she was reborn into a fantasy world. But this was the third life involving her regression. Though she could remember her previous lives, she didn''t remember how she died in any of them, besides the modern one. It was always the same. She never remembered the days leading up to her death or the actual death, but there was one thing she knew with certainty.

    Before she died, she had destroyed the world.

    She rubbed her forehead. Did that mean she was destined to destroy the world and repeat this life over and over again? Ember groaned and curled up into a ball. She didn''t even want to think about it. Maybe, at least for right now, she should sleep. After all she had just died, she deserved some time to just pretend the world didn''t exist.

    Her eyes drifted closed only for them to snap open at the sound of running feet.

    "Wait!"

    But it was too late. A scrawny body was piercing through the air and she watched in horror as the boy body-slammed right into her stomach. The wind was knocked out of her and tears sprung to her eyes involuntarily at the pain. Ember dearly missed the strong and toned body of her previous life.

    "Wake up! Mom wants you to help with breakfast," her brother shouted with glee.

    In response, Ember twisted around and slammed her arm down, pinning her little brother against the straw bed. Her eyes never opened. "Sleeeep."

    Her brother pushed against her arm but it didn''t budge. "How are you so strong?"

    "Why are you jumping on a sick person?"

    "Shut up," her brother said. "The healer said you''re better now."

    Better? She wasn''t sure if that was true. She was back to being a poor commoner girl struggling for any way to change her fate. Though perhaps that was better than the murderous tyrant she had become in her previous life.

    A new start might not be too bad.

    "You''re better, right?" Rowan asked.

    Ember opened her eyes to see her brother staring at her. His large brown eyes couldn''t hide his worry. His expression changed to one of surprise but before he could say anything, Ember grabbed him and gave him a big hug, kissing his cheek.

    "Ew, gross! Let me go!" Her brother wailed.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Ember ignored his wailing. "Aww, was my brother worried about me?"

    "Ember! Rowan! What are you two doing?" Her mother asked as she walked into the room.

    At the sight of her mother, Ember loosened her grip on her brother. Her chest tightened. Her eyes felt wet and she struggled to hold back the urge to scream out her mother''s name and climb into her arms like a child.

    The feeling was startling. She had lived three lives before this and had a good grasp on controlling her emotions. She stubbornly ignored the voice in the back of her mind reminding her how in her past life she was renowned for her temper. In any case, she shouldn''t be struggling not to cry. Did regressing to her twelve-year-old self also affect her emotional maturity?

    She didn''t get to dwell on that further because the next moment her mother was rushing towards her. She grabbed her face and looked at her.

    "What happened to you? Did that damn healer do this to you? I never should have trusted him."

    "What?" Ember asked, completely confused with what was going on. This was different from what happened in her previous lives.

    "Yeah, I was about to tell her that her eye was weird but then she kissed me." Rowan rubbed at his cheek as if he was trying to scrub away any traces of his sister''s affection.

    "What''s wrong with my eye?" Ember asked. She looked around but her vision was normal. Honestly, it was almost as good as it had been in her tyrant life. That realization sent a thump of excitement through her chest and she started to call upon her ability when she caught the look on her mother''s face.

    Her mother looked scared.

    Ember reached out and clasped her mother''s hand. "Mom, whatever is wrong I''m sure I''m fine. I don''t feel sick and I can see just fine."

    Her mother seemed to recover at Ember''s words. She reached out and hugged Ember tightly. "I''m glad you''re alright."

    Ember hugged her mother back and was filled with a warmth she desperately missed. In that moment, she realized that dying was worth it if she got to hug her mother again. She never wanted it to end.

    Her mother pulled back and ruffled Ember''s mussed hair. "Go ahead and get yourself presentable. We''re going to see Priest Octorin."

    "What? Why?"

    Her mother put her hands on her hips. "Didn''t I tell you to get ready, young lady? You too, Rowan."

    "Yes, Ma''am," they both said in unison.

    Her mother nodded and then turned on her heel and left the room.

    As soon as she was gone, Ember turned to her brother. "What''s wrong with my eye?"

    Her brother frowned and then looked at her eye again. "It''s strange. It has a weird symbol in it."

    "A symbol? Can you write it for me?"

    Rowan glared at her. "Are you messing with me?"

    Ember was confused why Rowan looked upset but then it dawned on her that the Rowan of this life didn''t know how to read or write. For a panicked moment, she wondered if she would still be able to read or write but she calmed down. She retained those skills in the beginning of her tyrant life so there was no reason she wouldn''t retain them in this life.

    "I mean, can you trace it in the air?" Ember asked and then added in an attempt to butter up her brother. "I''m sure that''ll be easy for you since you''re really good at art."

    Rowan''s hesitation disappeared though he didn''t immediately jump to it. "What good would that do? It''s not like you''ll know what it means."

    Ember shrugged. "It''s in my eye. Maybe I''ll figure it out."

    Rowan scoffed but he raised his finger and began to trace the symbol in the air. Ember asked him to do it three more times to make sure she got it.

    "One more time," Ember said after the third attempt.

    Rowan crossed his arms. "No. Just admit it. You have no idea what it is."

    Ember frowned but her brother was right. She had no clue what the symbol meant.

    "Ember! Rowan! Are you two ready?"

    Rowan shot out of the room before Ember could try to ask him to draw the symbol again. She groaned. She desperately wished for a mirror but that wasn''t likely to happen unless she wanted to beg Lord Felis to borrow his. Just the thought of the vile man made her lip curl.

    Pushing herself off the straw mat, Ember discarded her sweat soaked shift for the worn brown dress that made up her everyday attire. There was a bucket of cold water that she used to wash the sweat from her body and clean her face. On a shelf above the bucket was a small wooden comb, a cherished gift from her father. She picked it up, looking it over. Her hands tightened on it and then loosened. With shaky hands, she combed her short wavy brown hair, before carefully putting the comb away.

    She stepped out of her room and into the kitchen where her mother and Rowan were waiting for her. Immediately, her mother hooked her arm with Ember''s.

    "Let''s be off then."

    Ember found herself practically dragged out the door. As they walked her mother chattered about the things that had happened around their small town while she was sick. Rowan lagged behind, wandering off at times until their mom called him back.

    Ember figured this was a good opportunity to look over something she had been curious about.

    Keeper

    As soon as she thought the command, a shimmering book appeared in front of her. Luckily, she was the only one who could see it. The book floated in front of her, coasting through the air as they walked.

    Open Abilities

    The book''s pages began to flip until they stopped. Ember quickly looked down, trying to read the words as she walked. A wide grin spread across her face as ability after ability spanned in front of her. That was until she saw that several of the abilities were faded.

    Before she could contemplate it further, she stumbled. She tried to catch herself but instead of the elegant recovery she expected, her legs tangled underneath her like a gangly preteen still trying to master coordination, which admittedly she was.

    Ember''s mother yanked her back to her feet and she found herself saved from getting her face smashed into the dirt. Her mother gave her a worried look.

    Ember smiled. "I''m okay, just a bit clumsy."

    Her mother nodded and continued walking but her pace was even quicker.

    Ember dismissed Keeper. It wouldn''t do for her to fall all over herself while attempting to read and walk. Besides, what she really needed was privacy to look it over and enter Keeper''s Hold.

    Still, it was good news that the abilities she obtained in her tyrant life had remained. She had been unsure of that. While her personal ability had remained the first time she returned, obtaining abilities through her Keeper had only been something she could do in her most recent life so she never had the chance to find out if she kept them through her regression.

    Did that mean the objects she had kept in Keeper''s Hold also remained? She was excited to see but first she needed to find out about the symbol in her eye.

    They had finally reached the small temple where Priest Octorin held his post. After her past life as a tyrant, she had learned many things about the Akashic Order and just how unusual it was to have a temple in such a small town. Likely it was there because of Lord Felis.

    At that moment, the temple''s door opened and the Priest himself stepped out. He looked surprised to see them but welcoming. "Sun''s light to you, Matron Camila. As well as you Maiden-"

    The priest froze as he stared at Ember then he abruptly took a step forward at a speed that shouldn''t have been possible for a man his age.

    He stared at her right eye. The next words out of his mouth made her shudder. "Who cursed you?"

 2 - The Price

    "Cursed?" Ember asked in shock.

    "Really?" Rowan said with the delight that only a ten-year-old could hold.

    Ember expected her mother to scold Rowan or at least say something but there was only silence. Ember turned to see her mother''s light brown skin darken. Her expression was filled with fury, her hands balled up at her side, shaking with a need to smash into something. It was like looking in a mirror at her past self.

    Her mother turned and Ember darted forward, clutching at her mother''s arm. "Mom! We should see what the priest has to say."

    Her mother glared at her and tried to snatch her arm away. "I already know who is at fault. That damn Lord Felis did this to you."

    Ember let her mother''s hand go only to capture it again. "Please Mom. I don''t think the Lord did this to me."

    "You don''t know him like I do," her mother said.

    You''re wrong. I know him all too well. I spent a life as his slave.

    "Please, Mom. Let us at least hear what Priest Octorin has to say." Ember quickly looked at the priest. This was all his fault and so he should work on fixing it.

    "Yes, I apologize. I was too reckless with my words. Please, come into the temple so we can talk."

    Ember gave her mother a pleading look.

    Her mother sighed and then looked at the priest and gave him a clipped nod. "Lead the way, Priest Octorin."

    The priest seemed taken aback by her mother''s tone but he didn''t seem angry that a commoner was ordering him about, just surprised.

    "Follow me," the priest said, turning, and together they entered the temple.

    As soon as they stepped into the temple, they found themselves in a large room with vaulted ceilings. The temple was modest compared to the ones she had seen in her other lives. The wooden floors were scratched and dull but clean. The walls had chipped paint and there was none of the treasures most temples displayed, but despite that an aura of awe spread through the room. And it all centered on the marble tree in the center of the temple.

    A hole was carved in the middle of the floor and from that hole a white marble tree sprouted up, its branches spreading to the ceiling. It was not a real tree. A small temple like theirs wouldn''t have an actual sapling but the marble tree was still blessed by Akashic and carried its glory.

    Inside, several people prayed around the tree or simply slept. A soft hum filled the air, some whispers but mostly silence permeated the air. The priest gestured for them to follow and they quietly moved to the left and down a hall that led to a closed door. The priest pushed open the door and they entered a section of the temple with several rooms on either side of the hall.

    Ember knew from experience that these rooms were where the temple had meetings with outsiders. A similar area would be on the right side of the temple, though those would be designated for temple staff.

    In the room was a small table and several modest chairs. Priest Octorin gestured for them to sit and as they did an acolyte hurried inside. Priest Octorin turned to a boy a little older than Ember and asked for him to bring paper, ink, and a mirror. Finally, his attention turned back to her family as he sat down across from them.

    He gestured to Ember. "Can you tell me how you obtained the symbol in your eye?"

    "I don''t know," Ember answered. "I was hoping you would know."

    "She woke up with it," Ember''s mother cut in. "Ember has been sick for a week. Lord Felis offered to send a healer he knew to treat her. He came last night. Afterwards, he left. This morning that symbol was in her eye."

    "You think the healer did it?"

    "Who else could it be?" Her mother snapped then calmed herself. "I apologize, Priest Octorin."

    The priest merely smiled. "When the priest came to see you, did he come alone?"

    "Lord Felis was with him but left afterwards. Guards came to pick him up after the healing."

    "Did any of the guards interact with your daughter?"

    Her mother frowned and then shook her head. "No."

    The priest nodded thoughtfully. A moment later the acolyte returned with the items the priest asked for. Ember had to stop herself from grabbing the mirror. Instead, she watched as the priest dipped a quill into ink and began to draw a symbol on the paper. He then turned the paper to face her.

    "This is the Akashic symbol for price. Akashic symbols are embedded with the power of the Akashic Tree. There are a few people who are blessed with the power to use these symbols and even fewer with the ability to put it on a person."

    The Priest paused as he studied her eye and then turned to her mother. "I know of only one healer with the capability to put an Akashic symbol on a person and that is Root Kasian. I do not believe the healer did this to your daughter, Matron Camila. In all honestly, it is more likely that a Curse Touched would be the culprit."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Her mother paled at the words and Rowan looked at Ember in horror.

    Ember''s own thoughts were in turmoil. While she had met Curse Touched before, she had never encountered one as a child. Either something had drastically changed this time around or this curse was tied to her death in her previous life.

    "What does this curse do?" Ember asked.

    The priest looked surprised at her question or maybe it was her tone. "Your daughter seems to take after you, Matron Camila."

    "I apologize, Priest Octorin. We are all shocked by this news." Her mother gave Ember a pointed look.

    Ember held back her urge to tell the priest to cut his dawdling and just tell her what the hell was going on. She instead gave him a smile with perhaps a little too much teeth. "Priest Octorin, I apologize if I was rude. May I please know what the curse does?"

    The Priest looked amused but nodded. "This curse will take your sight as payment."

    Ember frowned. "I don''t understand. I still have my sight."

    "That is the tricky part," the priest said. "While the curse will take your sight as payment, I can''t say what that payment is for. That is something only you and the person who cursed you would know."

    Ember stared at the priest, stunned. She was starting to understand what the priest meant.

    Her mother slapped her hand against the table. "This is nonsense! How would Ember know?"

    The priest turned to her mother and Ember cringed at his words. "She had to agree to the curse."

    "What?" her mother yelled, jumping from her chair.

    Ember groaned. This was a disaster. Though it did clear up one thing. The cursed had to be tied to her previous life though she wasn''t sure how. She had no recollection of accepting this type of curse.

    "An Akashic symbol has to be accepted to be placed on someone," the priest explained. "It is very powerful but cannot be forced upon a person." Priest Octorin turned his attention to Ember. "Maiden Ember, do you know how you obtained the curse?"

    "I can''t remember," Ember said and mentally flinched at how it probably sounded like she was lying.

    "Ember," her mother said sharply. "You didn''t make a promise with some stranger, did you?"

    Ember shook her head. "I really don''t remember promising anything to anyone or agreeing to be cursed."

    The priest studied her and then nodded. "It is possible she was tricked into taking on the curse."

    Both Ember and her mother frowned.

    "Can''t we just have a curse breaker fix it?" Rowan suggested, looking askant at everyone.

    Her mother''s gaze dropped to her lap, avoiding meeting her children''s eyes. Ember knew right away what was wrong but it was Priest Octorin who answered Rowan.

    "Curse breakers are rare. Most are in the service of nobles and those who aren''t are extremely expensive."

    "But doesn''t the Akashic Order have one?" Rowan insisted.

    Ember found her heart tightening at Rowan''s persistence. Her little brother wanted to save her. She reached over and ruffled Rowan''s hair. He smacked her hand away, glaring at her.

    "What are you doing? Shouldn''t you be begging for them to help you? You''ve been cursed!"

    "Only a fool begs for their life," Ember said firmly. "It will only lead to you being trampled by those stronger than you."

    Rowan stared at her like she was crazy.

    Ember realized how she must sound and quickly tried to fix the conversation. "I will ask for help and those who will help me will help me. If I can''t get that help it is up to me to find a solution or accept the consequences of my failure."

    The priest coughed. "I never thought I would hear such words from a young girl."

    Ember looked at the priest and then her mother. Her mother was giving her a strange look. Ember quickly looked away. Her phrasing might have sounded a little too strange to come from a twelve-year-old. She would have to watch out for that. She turned back to the priest.

    "Can you help me?"

    The priest met her eyes. "In a way. I can put you on a list to see one of the Akashic Order''s curse breakers but the likelihood to see one is incredibly low. If you''re lucky, you might see them in a few decades."

    Ember figured as much. The priest wasn''t lying that curse breakers were rare. Still, she had her own methods, so it wasn''t time to panic.

    "But there''s another option I can offer," the priest stated. "There are many priests that study the Akashic Symbols. One of them might be able to unlock the terms of your curse. Knowing the terms can help you to find out what the trigger is and how to avoid it."

    Ember found herself curious. She would definitely like to know the conditions of her curse. There were a lot of reasons a person would have cursed her in her previous life. If she knew the terms, she could possibly work with it or in the worst scenario losing an eye wouldn''t be the most terrible thing that could happen to her.

    "I would like that, please."

    "Wait," her mother said. "Does that mean she would have to leave Goros? And what would they ask in return?"

    Those were very good questions. There was always a cost for help, whether it was up front or someone showing up on your door asking for a favor. Still, Ember wasn''t too worried. While the Akashic Order had some corruption as any powerful organization did, for the most part they really did try to help the less fortunate including commoners. That in itself was a wonder since nobles and the gentry tended to look down on commoners as tools or simply trash to be discarded from their view. Honestly, if the royal family didn''t keep the Akashic Order in constant check then the world would be quite different.

    The priest nodded. "She would leave Goros but it would be temporarily. In regards to what would be asked for in return, you would have to find that out." He paused and then looked at Ember. "The delegation for the yearly Choosing will be coming to Goros in two weeks. When they leave, I can make arrangements for you to travel with them."

    Before Ember could answer, her mother cut in. "I''ll need to discuss this with my husband. Can we speak with you later about this, Priest Octorin?"

    The priest smiled, appearing almost amused. "Of course."

    Her mother hurried them out of the room, bringing their conversation to an end. Ember looked longingly at the mirror. She still hadn''t gotten the chance to look at the problematic eye. She could have asked but seeing how agitated her mother was she decided not to push it.

    On the way back her mother was quiet, her steps fast. Even Rowan looked downtrodden. Ember searched for words to reassure her family but she was too distracted. Her mind kept turning to the curse and then back to the faded abilities in her Keeper. This life had started with too many questions. Already things were changing from the original timeline before she even began to set out with a new plan. She would have to gain control of this life before everything spiraled out of control.

    "Zeris!" Her mother shouted and then she was running.

    Ember looked up and her stomach dropped at what she saw. Her father was pinned to the ground and surrounded by guards. Standing above him with a gleeful smile on his face and a sword to her father''s throat was Lord Felis.

 3 - Keepers Hold

    Rage surged through Ember. How dare Felis touch her father! How dare anyone touch one of her people. Not again, not ever. She ran forward, calling on haste. She sped up and then immediately fell over. Pain racked through her legs, sudden and shocking.

    "Ember!" Her brother rushed to her side clutching at her.

    Ember gritted her teeth, pushing back the pain. Why didn''t haste work? A sinking feeling formed in her stomach. She needed to call Keeper.

    The crunch of steps pulled her attention away from her thoughts. Rowan tightened his grip on her arm.

    "Did you not use the healer I sent you, Mila?" Lord Felis asked, standing above Ember.

    "I did, my Lord," her mother said, her voice polite but strained.

    "Then what''s wrong with her," Lord Felis said. "Stand up, girl."

    Ember''s entire body shook with the urge to rip apart the man in front of her. She might have tried but with what happened while using haste she didn''t dare. She pushed herself off the ground, trying to climb to her feet on shaky legs.

    "Hurry up," Lord Felis demanded.

    Before she could do anything, he grabbed her by the hair, yanking her up. Sharp pain throbbed in her scalp and she glared as she looked into Lord Felis''s face. A face that some have called beautiful, with features that seemed to be carved from porcelain. He looked younger than his mid-thirties but that was to be expected in those that had been awakened as Seedlings. His green eyes seemed to glint in the sunlight, something that many of the village girls swooned over, but all Ember could see was how calculating they were.

    "Let go of my sister!" Rowan demanded, yanking at her arm.

    "Please, Lord Felis, my daughter is still recovering."

    Lord Felis ignored them both as he stared at Ember''s face. "What is wrong with her eye?"

    "I''ve been cursed, my Lord," Ember said and she couldn''t help the grin on her face as Lord Felis abruptly let her go.

    Released from his grip, Ember found herself yanked back by Rowan causing them both to tumble to the ground.

    Ember looked up and watched as Lord Felis walked back to his guards. As he did, he pulled out a handkerchief, wiping off his hand. She couldn''t help smirking at the sight. She knew Lord Felis had a well-earned fear of such things.

    "Camila, how did your daughter become cursed?"

    A guard was beside her mother, blocking her with his arm. It seemed he had stopped her mother from trying to reach them.

    "I don''t know. We went to see Priest Octorin. He thinks it might have been a Curse Touched."

    Lord Felis paled. "We''re leaving," he said to the guards before abruptly turning and going to his carriage. "I will be back for payment, Mila."

    Only when he stepped into his carriage did his guards let her mother and father go. Ember watched the carriage with narrowed eyes as it drove away. She never forgot to pay her debts.

    "Ember! Rowan! Are you both alright?"

    Her mother and father rushed over and Ember found herself squeezed between the two. Warmth filled her, easing back some of the anger though only revenge would settle it.

    "You''re cursed?" Her father asked and his voice was pained as he pulled back to look at her.

    Ember nodded. "But Priest Octorin says there is someone who can help us. The curse isn''t even active yet."

    Her father looked at her mother for confirmation and she nodded. Her father sighed and then scooped Ember up in his arms.

    "You should rest. You are still healing."

    Ember snuggled into her father''s arm. She was really too old to be carried around but she let herself enjoy it this once. Soon enough, she was laid down in the straw mat that was her bed and a fresh blanket was put over her.

    "Rest," her father said, brushing her brow. "You are safe now."

    Ember wasn''t sure if the last words was meant for her or for him, still she nodded and snuggled into her bed. Moments later her door was closed. She listened which wasn''t hard to do in the small shack they called their home.

    "Why didn''t you fight back?" Rowan demanded.

    "Sometimes it is best not to fight."

    "I hate him! You should have fought! It isn''t fair for him to do this to us!"

    "Rowan, enough!"

    There was the stomp of feet and then the slam of the front door. Ember could imagine what happened. Rowan running away, her father''s pained expression. It was the same expression she had seen so many times in her past lives. One filled with the helplessness of not being able to protect the ones he loved.

    Ember had no intention to merely sit back helpless though. She would give her family a place to live happily and safely. The first step towards that was to find out just what was going on with her abilities.

    "Keeper''s Hold."

    Immediately, golden cases floated in the air around her.

    "Abilities."

    The cases shifted and thirty cases hovered in front of her. Of those cases six were empty. That was expected. She could only hold thirty abilities at a time and she always made sure to leave five slots open for temporary abilities. The last slot was for an ability she was still trying to obtain but didn''t have the capacity to hold beyond as a temporary ability. Perhaps, in this life she would actually manage to obtain it.

    Ember pushed away the wave of greed and focused on the task at hand. She looked at her abilities until she found Haste. In the case was a dim ball of white light that looked like tightly coiled wisps. Next to the ball was a floating paper. She read the paper.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ---

    <u>Haste</u>

    The ability to move at speeds faster than natural human capability.

    Status: Permanent

    Capacity: 100%

    Requirements: Physical. Physical requirements not met.

    Access: 0%

    ---

    The Keeper was a minimalist as usual. Still, it answered her question. Some abilities required her to reach a level of physical fitness to be able to use them. A quick glance at herself was enough to show that she wasn''t where she needed to be to access any of her physical abilities. Still, it was strange that the capacity remained 100 percent.

    She pondered that. Her ability has always been odd.

    "Keeper."

    The floating book appeared once more and she turned to the opening pages where her skill laid.

    ---

    <u>Finder''s Keeper</u>

    The ability to find what you seek and keep what you find.

    Status: Akashic Gifted, Permanent

    <u>Unlocked</u>

    1 - Find inanimate objects

    2 - Find unawakened creatures and people

    3 - Find knowledge

    4 - Find awakened creatures and people

    5 - Find abilities

    ---

    When she first received her ability in what she now deemed her prisoner life, she thought it was a useless ability. That was before she discovered that she could unlock levels within it. Even then, it wasn''t until her tyrant life that she had truly seen its worth.

    Three lives she had lived - a modern life, a prisoner life, and a tyrant life. What type of life would this one be? The question was not as hard as she thought it would be. Both in her prisoner and tyrant life she had lost her family. This time she would make sure to save them and protect them. To do that she would need to recover her strength and not only that. She wanted to get even stronger.

    She paused at that thought. Strength was good but her tyrant life taught her that strength alone wasn''t enough. What she needed was a way to keep her family safe. Somewhere they could be safe even if she wasn''t around them.

    A safe place.

    That gave her an idea. It would involve some planning, taking knowledge, finding people, but the more she thought about it the more she liked it.

    My own kingdom and in the center a place that can''t be touched by my enemies.

    In some ways it was an impossible dream, especially for someone like her who knew only how to destroy instead of build. Still, it was worth trying. Her family was worth it.

    Why stop at family? There are friends I want to protect as well.

    Ember shut that thought down. She was getting ahead of herself. Right now, what was important was to find out how weakened she was.

    Time to go through her remaining abilities. After going through them, Ember was left with a lackluster conclusion. Of the 24 abilities she had only eight of them she still had access to. Of those eight all of them were weakened except one - Soul Torture.

    She grimaced. What kind of person did that make her that the only ability she was completely capable of using was Soul Torture? She rubbed the bridge of her nose. At least it was good for combat though she had never liked using it. It was a last resort because there was no doubt that the ability was pure evil. She knew it wasn''t just a personal feeling either. It damaged her soul whenever she used it.

    Viera hated that I kept it. Even Tafria would look away the few times I used it.

    She frowned at the thought of the pair. One had betrayed her and the other had died for her. It was a reminder of her failures. She wouldn''t let that happen again. She shoved the thoughts away and instead focused on what was in front of her.

    She had seven other abilities she could use:

    <ol>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Stealth</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Illusions</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Fire</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Water</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Earth</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Air</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Sleep</li>

    </ol>

    The elemental skills were known growth skills and many Seedlings were blessed with access to them. In the magic schools, it was elemental abilities that were often what was taught. Not that she ever had the opportunity to go to a magic school. They were for nobles and people given the privilege of being recommended by a noble house. Most people who were awakened as a Seedling through touching a sapling were given at least one elemental as well as a second ability.

    Stealth was another ability that was not unheard of, though it was monopolized by the noble house of Rakel. There have been times where a few people outside the house had gained the skill. One was a famous thief. It was from him that she gained her stealth ability.

    Which brought an interesting thought to mind. She had taken her abilities from several people. Did that mean in this life they would no longer have them or since this was a new life would they regain them again or even gain different abilities?

    She couldn''t be sure. There were some problematic people she had stolen abilities from. Well, it wasn''t anything she needed to dwell on. If she encountered them, she would deal with them then. There were even some she wouldn''t mind allowing to keep their abilities if it didn''t affect her maintaining the ones she had. The thief had been highly amusing.

    Illusion and Sleep were rare abilities. Weak as they were they wouldn''t hold up against any Seedling with a very strong soul or mind, but they would still be useful against physical types and unawakened.

    In any case, the abilities she had were enough to get her started and were more than most people had access to. Probably only the royals and the high nobles had access to this many and she knew for a fact that none could switch out her skills like she could.

    I shouldn''t think like that.

    She should be focusing on avoiding the nobles not comparing how powerful she was to them. Well, at least until she was ready to fight them. She had no doubts she would run into them eventually. Even she couldn''t stay under the radar forever and she had no intention to either.

    Now, it was time to start on the first part of her plan. Ember hopped out of her bed, happy to note her legs were already feeling better. She then turned to her bed and focused. It took her at least three minutes before she could complete the illusion, but once it was done in her bed laid a sleeping version of herself.

    Much too slow to complete but it worked so that was enough. Now the next part.

    Stealth

    She felt herself change. It was like she became less herself, less real. She never got used to the feeling of stealth. It always felt like she was losing her place in the world. She waited a moment as her stealth covered her. Then quickly she moved out the door.

    While stealth didn''t make her invisible, at least not at this level, it did make her less noticeable. Since her parents were not Seedlings it would be even more effective. Leaving the house was easy. Outside she froze. Her father stood in the front yard chopping wood.

    She moved quietly passed him. Honestly, she wasn''t sure it would work. It would have been better if there were other people around or it was dark. Still, she kept moving, hoping he wouldn''t notice her.

    Her father grunted. She froze. His forehead was creased and his brown eyes seemed to burn with a harsh light. He wiped his brow and then grabbed another log. He swung his axe. For a moment, Ember paused and watched him. His axe cut into one log after another in a quiet fury. Ember shook herself from her staring and kept moving. Her father never looked her way.

    When Ember was far enough away from their house, she started to run. She ran down to the village and as she did she felt something snap. Her body jerked at the sensation and right away she knew that her illusion had fallen away.

    That must mean I''m too far away for the illusion to-

    Slam! Her thoughts scattered as a body crashed into her. Ember was knocked to the ground and her stealth dropped.

    "I''m sorry!" A familiar voice cried out.

    Ember turned and for a minute she froze. In front of her was a girl with messy black hair and wide brown eyes. A bruise covered her cheek.

    The girl scrambled to her feet, bowing. "Sorry."

    "Patricia!" A voice bellowed.

    Ember turned and a large man with bloodshot eyes stumbled in their direction.

    The girl turned to her with frightened eyes. "Run!"

    Ember looked at Patricia and she turned to face the man. She grinned. "I''d rather not."

    Time to try some magic.

 4 - An Opportunity

    The drunk man shifted side-to-side as he scowled at the pair. "Get girl. Ain''t no business of yours."

    His words were slow but surprisingly not slurred. Perhaps he wasn''t as drunk as he seemed. She would have to be careful not to show off too much.

    She silently began to call up the wind but right away she could feel that while she could still manipulate it just fine, she didn''t have the power she would need to knock a fully grown man down, even a drunk one. Still, that gave her another idea and she quickly shifted elements.

    "You get," Ember said. "Go home and sleep it off."

    The man grew red in the face and his eye burned with fury. "Now listen here you little brat-"

    She snorted. "I rather be a brat than some sloppy drunk. You''re pathetic."

    The man''s face grew even redder and he roared as he lurched forward in a blind rage. As he did, Ember had the earth raise up, just a little, right in front of his feet. He tripped, falling to the ground just managing to splay out his hands so he didn''t smash his head in.

    Ember smirked at the sight.

    "Y-you-" the man stuttered out as he tried to climb to his feet but as soon as he tried to push himself up, the ground shifted under him and he found himself splayed on the ground like a dried-up starfish.

    Ember looked over him with satisfaction.

    The man glared at her and tried to get up again. Once again, the ground shifted and he was eating dirt. Over and over, he tried to get to his feet and each time he fumbled down again.

    "What''s going on?" The man yelled, and this time his anger was tinged with fear. Ember could almost see his brain struggling to piece things together. Then his eye narrowed as he looked at her. "You''re doing this?"

    Ember''s grin widened. "What could a little brat like me do?"

    She took a step forward. The man looked so pathetic, like a bug waiting to be squashed. Though her body was weak, Seedlings had a natural boost in strength. It should be enough to break a leg. She took another step forward.

    Suddenly, she was yanked backwards. She turned, glaring, only to pause. Patricia was looking at her with desperate eyes.

    "We should run."

    Ember frowned then looked back at the drunk. What had she been about to do? She shuddered and then nodded at Patricia. They both turned and ran.

    The two girls weaved between houses until they had run to the east end of the village. Patricia climbed over a worn-down wooden fence, waving for Ember to follow her. Ember looked around, realizing they were right outside the east side of the woods. She wasn''t too worried, most of the dangerous animals stayed deeper in the woods but she still kept an eye out just in case. She climbed over the fence and noticed they were near an abandoned shack. A place many people avoided due to rumors that it was haunted. Every time someone tried to knock the shack down something would happen so everyone had agreed to just leave it alone.

    Patricia seemed to know the area well, and led them through some nearby trees that clustered together by a boulder. The area looked like a dead end but Patricia dropped to the ground and started crawling in between the tree and rock. Ember watched in surprise before cautiously following her.

    What she expected to be a hole between the brush ended up being a small tunnel. It made her pause, but Ember''s curiosity got the best of her and she climbed inside. The spot was tight and most adults would have had a hard time entering. As Ember crawled deeper into the tunnel it began to open up until it led into a large cave.

    Ember''s eyes widened in surprise. The cave was an underground spring. A small hole at the top of the cave brought in a ray of light, preventing the area from being completely dark. It shown down on the pond as water trickled down from several rocks making a modest waterfall.

    Suddenly, light flooded the cave. Ember twisted around to see that Patricia had lit a lantern. One that must have been tucked away in the cave. The girl gave her a shy smile before moving the lantern near a blanket by the spring. She sat down and looked at Ember expectantly. Ember decided to join her.

    "This is my secret place," Patricia said as soon as Ember settled down beside her.

    "It''s beautiful."

    The girl flushed in pleasure before looking down at her lap. "I''m sorry."

    "Why?" Ember asked, confused.

    "My father. I-I didn''t mean to get you in trouble."

    Ember put her hands on her hips. "Do I look like I was in trouble?"

    The girl smiled. "You were really brave." Then her lips twisted up. She peeked up at Ember and then back down.

    "What is it?" Ember asked.

    "How did you do that?" Patricia asked.

    "Do what?" Ember asked. She had an idea what the girl was asking but she had no intention of telling her that she was a Seedling. Honestly, what she had done back there could have ended up bringing her a lot of unneeded attention and right now she wanted to avoid Lord Felis''s attention as much as possible. It would already be difficult enough getting her family away from the Lord.

    "You kept making father fall down," Patricia said, peeking up at her again.

    "He was drunk," Ember said flatly, meeting Patricia''s eyes. "That''s why he kept falling."

    "Oh," the girl said, curling in on herself.

    They fell into silence. Ember felt guilty. It was clear Patricia didn''t believe her and Ember had no reason to tell her, but that wasn''t the reason she felt guilty. Seeing Patricia again was like being doused in cold water.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Growing up, she hadn''t been particularly close with the girl. Honestly, no one had been besides the pitying glances. A few people tried being nice to Patricia but whenever they did her father would fly into a rage and Patricia would get the worse of it. Eventually, everyone stopped trying.

    Lord Felis could have stopped it or at least the guards but the noble didn''t get the guards involve except when it would affect him and his land. An abused little girl and her drunken father weren''t in his purview. The only one who had ever helped was Priest Octorin but there was only so much he could do. Sadly, in this world, child protections were sorely lacking when it involved family. While a child was seen as protected from outsiders. Children were considered their family''s property until they had proven their maturity or were married.  Children with individual rights only came into play within the nobility and even then it depended on who was doing the abusing.

    Ember had only come to know Patricia in her prisoner life. Back then, Ember had been chained to Lord Felis and she came to know Patricia when a noble had visited Goros. The noble had seen Patricia doing chores and had requested that Lord Felis get her for him. At that time, Patricia had blossomed into a beauty. Lord Felis had been trying to cement a trade deal with the man and so jumped at the opportunity.

    Patricia''s father had happily sold her to the man. At first glance, it could have been seen as an escape from her abusive father but the month the noble had stayed there had shown that he was a man of sadistic tastes and Patricia was his favorite.

    Ember only had one conversation with Patricia during that time but it had left an impression. Then six months later she heard the woman was dead. The worst part was that during her tyrant life she didn''t even look for her. She had simply abandoned her to her fate. Would she had even thought to look for her this time around?

    She knew the answer. The guilt thickened inside her.

    "I''m cursed," she blurted out, pointing to her eye.

    The girl blinked and looked at Ember''s eye. She gave her a small smile.

    "I''m bad luck," Patricia said, her smiled widening.

    Ember couldn''t help it. She started to laugh. Two rejects bonding over being bad luck. Of course, Ember was sure that Patricia wasn''t bad luck. It was probably just something her father told her in drunken fits. Still, she felt a comradery between them. Maybe that was the reason she had been so affected by Patricia''s death in her prisoner life. The both of them had been trapped. Commoners left to the mercy of twisted powerful men. At least Ember had a father who loved and cared for her the best that he could.

    I don''t want to leave her behind.

    "Do you want to be a Seedling?" Ember abruptly asked the girl.

    Patricia blinked and then looked down at her lap. "That''s impossible."

    "There''s the Choosing."

    Patricia frowned. "I won''t get picked."

    Ember didn''t argue with that. After all she already knew the result of the Choosing. "Even so, do you want to be a Seedling?"

    The girl bit her lip and then nodded her head vehemently "I do. I read about them."

    Ember blinked in surprise. "You can read?"

    Patricia smiled at her shyly and nodded. "My aunt taught me before father stopped her from visiting me."

    Ember looked at the girl thoughtfully. "What if you get the chance and Akashic doesn''t choose you? People might be cruel to you. You''ll be treated even worse than you are now."

    Patricia''s face scrunched up in worry but then she shrugged. "I would still want to try."

    "Okay," Ember said, decided. "I''ll see if I''ll give you a chance but don''t blame me if it doesn''t work."

    Patricia looked at her with wide eyes. "What?"

    "I said I''m going to give you a chance but I can''t promise it''ll work. Make sure to read as much as you can until the Choosing. Maybe try to get stronger too." She frowned. "No. There''s no way you''ll get stronger in time. Just focus on reading and developing your mind."

    "Develop my mind?" Patricia asked, confused.

    "Learn things and read." Ember nodded her head. "Oh! And pick the Akashic Order. Don''t ever promise to work with Lord Felis. He''s horrible."

    Patricia eyes grew even wider and she looked around as if she expected Lord Felis to pop up from the ground. "You can''t say that about a noble."

    "I can say it here," Ember said. "It''s your secret place."

    Patricia calmed down at those words. She gave another shy smile to Ember. "It''s our secret place."

    Ember felt a wave of emotion go through her. It was a silly feeling but she couldn''t help it.

    "I''m going to save you this time," Ember said firmly.

    "What?" Patricia asked confused.

    "Even if you don''t get chosen, I''ll figure something out. But remember, if you do get chosen, pick the Akashic Order."

    "I promise!" Patricia said, her voice trembling but filled with conviction.

    "Good. I have to go find my brother."

    "Oh, um..." Patricia looked at the ground before mumbling. "Will you come back?"

    Ember smiled. "Not today."

    "Oh," her shoulders drooped.

    "But I can come again another day."

    Patricia brightened at that. "Okay."

    Ember walked back to the tunnel. She waved. "I''ll see you later, Patricia, and remember what I said. Read and learn as much as you can."

    With one last wave, Ember scrambled into the tunnel and hurried away. It took her a while to get back to town. On the way, Ember couldn''t help wondering if she had made the right choice. Honestly, it wasn''t a perfect plan that she had in mind.

    She knew she was the person destined to be picked for the Choosing. She had been picked in both her prisoner and tyrant life. In her tyrant life, she had declined the Choosing since she already had her ability. She knew if she went up, they would find out she had one and then she would have to deal with Lord Felis.

    So, she had withdrawn. To her surprise, her brother had been picked instead. It had been a disaster. Akashic didn''t give him an ability to the disappointment of the whole town. Due to royal law, the Akashic Order weren''t allowed to pick another person for the Choosing. It was a way to help regulate the Akashic Order. One pick from the designated villages was allowed whether the Akashic Tree blessed them or not.

    This ended up with some of the townspeople resenting her brother but the one who was the harshest on her brother was himself. Back then Ember had thought it was her brother''s sad fate but later on she realized that there were ways to tip the scales in a person''s favor to help them gain an ability. Akashic''s blessings were determined though the physical, mind, and soul. So, if one had a strong body or a developed mind there was a better likelihood of them gaining an ability.

    Her brother, while active, didn''t have a strong body due to their poor lifestyle. He also wasn''t one for studying. Things changed when he was older but at ten-years-old, he wasn''t in a position to have the requirements to gain an ability. On top of that, Akashic only blesses a person once so there was no way to try again later in life.

    Knowing what she did, she would make sure to give her brother the opportunity to become a Seedling. For now though, she had other things to focus on.

    She had reached town and with a little more hunting she found her brother. Rowan was playing a game of marbles with several other boys when she grabbed his arm and started dragging him away.

    "Hey!" Her brother struggled to get away but she wasn''t allowing it. "What are you doing?"

    She dragged him until she found a somewhat secluded place. Only then did she let him go.

    Rowan glared at her. "What was that for? And how the hell are you so strong?"

    "You shouldn''t cuss," Ember said.

    He rolled his eyes. "If you''re going to talk about nothing then just leave me alone."

    "I have an opportunity for you."

    "What are you even saying," Rowan said, squinting at her. "Did that curse mess up your head?"

    "Just listen." Ember slapped her hands on her brother''s shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "Let''s save Mom and Dad."

 5 - Requirements

    When Ember asked Rowan to help her save their parents, she expected one of two reactions. The first one was for him to look at her like she had gone insane which, in all honesty, was a valid reaction. She was basically asking him to help her go against a noble. The other possibility was that he would have the wild excitement of a kid wanting to play the hero. In any case, she had plans for both reactions.

    What she didn''t plan for was the reaction her brother was giving her right now. His entire body stiffened and then his shoulders sagged. Rowan looked down at his feet with a grim expression.

    "We can''t."

    Ember blinked, thrown off by his defeated attitude. Sure, without Rowan knowing about her skills it would seem impossible to help their parents but that had never stopped Rowan from trying.

    "You''re different," Ember found herself saying.

    Rowan glared at her. "I''m not the one who''s been acting weird." He yanked away from her. "You think I''m stupid?"

    Ember hesitated, feeling bewildered. Did Rowan figure something out about her? "I don''t know what you mean."

    "Don''t lie! I know you came out here after I fought with Dad." He balled up his fist. "He probably told you to try to calm me down, but I''m not some little kid."

    Ember had to stop herself from pointing out he was ten.

    Rowan must have seen it in her eyes because he glared at her. "I know Dad can''t fight against a noble, especially not one who''s a Seedling. I just-" He kicked the ground. "I hate it. I hate that we just have to let him do what he wants."

    Ember took a deep breath. "Dad didn''t send me and neither did mom. When I asked you to help me save Mom and Dad, I meant it."

    Rowan snorted in disbelief. "Sure."

    Ember grinned. "Come with me. We need to go somewhere we won''t be interrupted."

    Rowan looked doubtful but he still followed her. She was tempted to take him to the cave but since it was Patricia''s secret, she didn''t want to reveal it without her permission. She knew just how important it was to have a safe place. Still, despite that she did take him to the same area, but instead of going to the hidden tunnel she pulled him into the woods. Once she felt they were deep enough but not so deep to be dangerous, she stopped.

    "Why are we all the way out here?" Rowan asked, looking around him curiously.

    "Privacy." She looked her brother in the eyes. "Rowan, you have to promise not to tell anyone about what I''m going to show you. I mean it. If you tell anyone, then our whole family''s life will be over."

    "Aren''t you being dramatic?" Rowan asked dismissively.

    Ember grabbed his arm, squeezing it. "I''m serious. If you aren''t able to keep it a secret then there''s no point in me showing you."

    "You''re serious?" Rowan asked, staring at her.

    "Very," Ember said, looking him in the eyes.

    Rowan hesitated and then nodded. "I promise."

    Ember studied him to make sure he was serious and then let go. She still hesitated. Would it be smart to even tell him? She could always come up with a different plan that wouldn''t involve a ten-year-old having to keep his mouth shut, but it would be better if there was another person around.

    Most of all she wanted to include him. In her tyrant life her secrets ended up pushing her brother away. Even now, there were many secrets she still had to keep but at least she wanted to show him a little trust. She didn''t ever want to go through losing him again.

    "Okay, don''t panic." She held out her hand and summoned a small flame.

    Rowan''s eyes widened. She then held out another hand and several drops of water came together to merge into an orb of water.

    "Oh shit! You''re a Seedling!" Rowan yelled.

    "Shh!!" Ember said, immediately dismissing the elements and clamping a hand over Rowan''s mouth. Her eyes darted around, searching for any sign of an intruder.

    There was no one. She knew that but she had to be careful. The town''s main resource was lumber and most of the townspeople did some work in the woods. Though currently they were focused on the western part of the forest.

    A slick, wet feeling pressed against her hand and Ember jerked her hand away with a yelp. She stared at Rowan. "Did you just lick me?"

    Rowan smirked. "You shouldn''t have covered my mouth."

    "You were yelling," Ember hissed, wiping her hand against her skirt. "That''s disgusting."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Rowan grinned at her like he was proud of what he done, before his eyes grew serious. "How did you become a Seedling?"

    Ember knew she had to be careful about what she said. Rowan desperately wanted to be a Seedling so he would try to do whatever she did to become one.

    "A priest awakened me."

    Rowan frowned. "What priest? Priest Octorin?"

    Ember shook her head. "You know he can''t."

    Rowan''s frown deepened. "Then who''s this mystery priest? How can I meet him?"

    "He''s not here," Ember said. "And I can''t tell you any more than that at least not right now."

    A frustrated look spread across Rowan''s face. "Why not? I want to be a Seedling too!"

    "You don''t think I know that?" Ember said, putting her hand on her hips. "But if you try to do it now, you''ll end up a dud."

    Rowan''s face grew furious and he shoved her. "Shut up! You don''t know that."

    "I do! But I know how to help with that."

    Anger, worry, and hope flickered across Rowan''s face. "You do?"

    Ember nodded. "It''s something the nobles try to keep secret but I''ll tell you and I''ll make sure you get a chance to become a Seedling."

    Rowan''s face scrunched up as if he wasn''t sure whether to believe her but there was a desperate hope in him. "How?"

    Ember plopped down on the ground. "Sit with me."

    Rowan didn''t argue this time, he just sat down.

    "There are three main types of power for Seedlings - Physical, Mind, and Soul. In order to be chosen by the Akashic Tree you have to meet the requirements for your power. This means being healthy and physically fit for a physical ability, smart and knowledgeable for a mind ability, and a developed soul for the soul ability."

    Rowan looked thoughtful. "That''s it?"

    Ember nodded. "That''s the basics, but think about it. Most commoners don''t have good food to keep them healthy or even go to school that''s why there are so many duds from commoners."

    Rowan looked thoughtful then nodded slowly. "I guess that makes sense but it still doesn''t sound like a big secret."

    "It''s not really but there are certain secrets nobles keep to help them get certain abilities. So, if you eat all the right food and are strong doesn''t mean you''ll get a good ability. But maybe if you swim every day and like to go diving you might find yourself with the ability to grow gills and fins."

    Rowan looked confused. His face scrunched up as if he was thinking and then he nodded. "I think I get it. You have to do something extra that make Akashic be like, oh he likes swimming so I''m going to give him a swimming ability."

    Ember nodded. "Yeah, but you can''t just like something it has to be meaningful to you or something that saturates your life."

    "What does saturate mean?" Rowan asked.

    "Um, like it is something you do all the time, something that is in your life and mind every waking moment."

    "Okay. That makes a bit more sense."

    Ember nodded. "So, you have to meet requirements outside but also inside. That becomes even more complicated. People spend lots of time studying it and there are books that nobles study all about it. But there are some magics that a noble house tries to make sure no one can get but them."

    Rowan listened with bated breath.

    "There''s a lot more to it and I''ll explain it more but what''s important is that if you tried to get magic now, you''ll end up becoming a dud and you only get one chance."

    Rowan''s face twisted up and then he nodded. "So, I need to get stronger and smarter?"

    "Yes, but once you''re ready I''ll make sure you get a chance to be a Seedling."

    From Rowan''s expression, it was clear he was struggling with the thought of having to wait. He wanted to be a Seedling but the thought of being a dud because he didn''t wait must have been frightening.

    "I''ll wait."

    "Good!" Ember said with some relief. "And I''ll help you train but before that we have to help Mom and Dad."

    "How?" Rowan asked.

    Ember grinned. "I have a plan."

    They talked for at least an hour to hash out what she needed her brother to do. He hadn''t been too fond of what she asked him to do but he agreed. As the two walked back to the house they made sure to keep an eye out for their parents. Ember was a little worried her parents might be looking for her since she knew her illusion had broken. It was likely her parents had checked on her and discovered that she was gone.

    When they got close to their home, the pair dashed to the side of the house. Luckily, their dad hadn''t been out chopping wood this time. Ember''s stealth only worked on her currently. In the past she was able to use it to spread to a second person but with her powers vastly weaken there was no way she could hide Rowan.

    Once they were safely out of sight, Ember checked once more that no one was around. She then quickly summoned an illusion and placed it on them. Luckily, she could put an illusion on multiple objects though beads of sweat spread across her forehead from the strain.

    Illusions lasted longer when they were tied to an object. It was also easier to break them in the lower levels when they were freestanding. It was the reason she needed her brother''s help. Like before, it took three minutes to settle each of the illusions on them.

    "Are you sure I can''t be the mage?" Rowan asked with his sister''s face.

    Ember couldn''t help staring at Rowan wearing her face. Despite their limited diet, her bronze cheeks had a natural chubbiness to them. Big brown eyes framed by dark lashes stared up at her, only marred by the strange symbol in her right eye.

    Ember couldn''t help the small giggle that poured from her mouth. "I''m adorable."

    "Ugh," her brother said.

    "In any case, I''m the one who needs to demonstrate that I''m a mage." She looked down at herself. "How do I look?"

    "Very mage-like," Rowan said with a shrug. "Though you sound the same."

    She tried speaking a bit lower, going for a sort of raspy voice. "How''s this?"

    Rowan''s face twisted. "I guess you can say you have a cold."

    She nodded then looked at Rowan thoughtfully. "You''ll have to avoid talking as much as you can. I don''t really think you can get away with sounding like me."

    "Yes, I can," her brother said, making his voice just a little higher. It was surprisingly similar.

    She blinked and he grinned back at her.

    "Let''s go!" Her brother said in his normal voice.

    Ember sighed and then the two were moving to their house. At the door, Ember took a deep breath and gave a resounding knock.

    There was the stomp of feet and the door was swung open. "Ember where have you been? And where is your..." Her mother trailed off as she looked at her or more like she looked at the mage she was pretending to be.

    "Hello, Matron Camila. I''m Bloom Larisel and I would like to speak with you about taking your daughter on as my apprentice."

 6 - The Mage

    Ember''s mother stared at her with first surprise and then suspicion. A trickle of sweat ran down Ember''s brow. She had kept her voice low and raspy but she was painfully aware that her voice probably sounded exactly as what it was, an attempt to hide her true voice. Still there was a way to shatter all doubts. She held out her hand and a ball of fire, water, and earth appeared. Each element swirled around each other.

    Her mother''s eyes widened at the sight and she automatically took a step back.

    "May I come in?" Ember said taking a step forward like the answer had already been given.

    "Oh. Of course!" Her mother turned and shouted. "Zeris! Can you please come here?"

    Her brother shuffled nervously next to her. Ember couldn''t help quickly scanning him to make sure the illusion remained a solid rendition of herself. When she couldn''t spot any issues, she breathed a silent sigh of relief before moving further into the house. She pretended to look around her with interest as she waited for her father to show up.

    When father arrived, he immediately moved to her mother''s side, standing slightly in front of her as if to protect her. "And you are?"

    "Bloom Larisel. I''ve come to request taking your daughter on as my apprentice." She flicked her hand, causing the balls of elements to disperse.

    "I don''t understand. Ember isn''t a Seedling." He glanced at Rowan and her brother immediately stiffened.

    "But she could be and I would like to give her the opportunity to be just that." She glanced over at Rowan-Ember then back to her parents. "Perhaps we can converse in private?"

    Her father frowned but nodded. He turned to Rowan-Ember. "Why don''t you go and find your brother?"

    "Okay," Rowan-Ember said and then quickly dashed through the door.

    Once Ember could feel the strain on her illusion, she let the illusion fall from Rowan while strengthening her own as Bloom Larisel.

    "Please sit," her mother said, gesturing to the small table they used for their meals. Together they all sat down.

    "Why do you want Ember as your apprentice?" Her father asked, getting right to the point.

    "Your daughter has great potential. I could see it right away and I would hate to see that potential lost."

    Her father''s frown deepened. "I''m sure there are many more people with potential you can take on, ones that aren''t commoners."

    "That''s true," she said. She paused and then leaned back. "Do you have anything to drink? My throat is quite parched."

    Her mother jerked up from her chair. "Of course. Will tea do?"

    "That would be lovely," Ember said, giving her mother a smile.

    It was strange to see her mother scurrying around for her but it was important to give a sort of flippant air. A Seedling wouldn''t bow down to a commoner and tended to have an air of arrogance around them. At the same time, she didn''t want her alter-ego to come off as too much of a jerk.

    While her mother heated up the water for tea, Ember turned back to her father. "You must have noticed I introduced myself as Bloom Larisel."

    "Yes," her father said with a confused scowled until realization dawned on him. She had no last name. "Oh."

    Ember smiled as she nodded. "I was once a commoner and as such I want to give the opportunity to one of similar background. I have been keeping an eye out and through chance I passed through this village and your daughter caught my eye. I believe I can expect great things from her once she becomes a Seedling."

    Her father looked thoughtfully down at his hand. "I don''t know if you are aware but the Choosing is to be here."

    Ember chuckled. "Ah, yes, the Choosing. Are you wanting to hold out for that chance? I suppose it could happen, but why would you want to gamble when you have a sure thing in front of you?"

    Her father was quiet as if thinking about it.

    "I don''t want to take my daughter''s choices away," her father said firmly.

    "I agree with my husband," her mother piped in, bringing two cups of tea to the table and setting one in front of Ember and one in front of her father. "At least with the Choosing she gets to decide if she goes with the Akashic Order or with a noble."

    "Hmm, I see." Ember brought the tea to her mouth, taking a sip. It was a bit too watery but she knew they didn''t have many tea leaves and the ones they did they tried to stretch out. Still, it gave her a chance to hide the warm smile threatening to spread across her face. It felt good to have her parents looking out for her. "It sounds like you are concerned that she would be bound to a noble. Is that correct?"The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    They both nodded.

    "And why is that a problem?" Of course, Ember knew the answer to that but she needed to play her role.

    Her parents looked nervously at each other before her father spoke up.

    "It depends on the noble."

    "Very true," Ember said in agreement, taking another sip of the watery tea before setting it down. "My Lord is quite a wonderful person who treats his people well but you need not worry about his character since your daughter will not be binding her service to him but to me."

    "Isn''t that the same thing?" Her father shot back.

    "Not at all. While I am loyal to my Lord, I do not expect my apprentice to follow in my footsteps unless that is what she deems best. My goal is to build on my knowledge and grow a talent to help carry on my legacy. As long as she is willing to work hard, not cause trouble, and grow her abilities then that is all I ask."

    "Isn''t that a bit too generous?" Her father asked.

    "Not at all. It''s entirely selfish. Do not think I''m offering this so easily. She has something I want. Potential to be great and therefore make me great in turn. If she didn''t have that I wouldn''t be here now. If she fails or doesn''t work hard, I won''t hesitate to toss her out."

    Her father didn''t look pleased by her words but seemed to accept them. Ember knew if she was too generous that their suspicions would simply grow.

    "Bloom Larisel, I do believe this is a good opportunity for Ember but even without our wariness to your Lord, we don''t know anything about you."

    Now came the tricky part.

    "Are you saying my word is not enough?" She challenged, meeting her father''s eyes and then her mother''s.

    A hint of fear danced across her mother''s face and Ember couldn''t help feeling guilty about it, but she forced herself to stay firm.

    "It''s not that," her mother said shakily. "She''s still a child and we worry for her."

    Ember relaxed back in her chair. "What earnest parents." She paused and pretended to be lost in thought before giving a short nod. "Then you are welcomed to join us."

    Her parents blinked. "What?" they said in unison.

    "I can understand a parent''s fears so you are welcome to come along. I will put you up temporarily in the city and you can see the opportunities given to your daughter and this can help put your mind at ease. Of course, this would only be for a month then after that you can return to your home or if you wish to stay longer find your own arrangements. I''m sure that will be acceptable?"

    Her parents looked shocked.

    "Then it''s settled," she said, climbing to her feet.

    "Wait," her father said, scrambling up. "We should at least discuss it with Ember before making a decision."

    Ember frowned. She honestly thought that would be enough but it looked like her parents were being stubborn. It was both frustrating and brought a warmth to her heart.

    "Fine," she said. "I have heard from Ember you''ll be going with the Choosing delegation to have her curse looked at. I will meet you when you arrive in the city and you can tell me your answer then."

    Her mother looked stunned but her father nodded his head. "We will do that."

    "Good." With that she turned away and strode out of the door, using her wind magic to close it behind her. A little bit of flare could go a long way.

    She hurried along until she was out of sight and scrambled behind a nearby house, she then dropped her illusion. That had gone well. She had expected her parents to agree at the end but they had held out. She was sort of proud of them for not just giving in. Honestly, if it had been a real Bloom, they wouldn''t have bothered with making deals and intimidated them into acceptance. Of course, being able to see a person''s potential was incredibly rare in itself.

    While there were certain things to help push a person''s potential to being a Seedling, there was no guarantee of what a person would become until they were awakened. There had been many nobles whose children didn''t manage to become Seedlings or awakened with less abilities than expected.

    And that was what matter to most Seedlings - the number of abilities. It was an easy way to establish rank, and though quality of ability could also help, that was a trickier path.

    A person with one ability, even if it was high quality would have a harder time than someone with multiple abilities. This was often the case because a person who has multiple abilities can also train them to a higher quality through the magic schools. They were also more likely to have resources directed towards them. The only time that really changed is when the ability had so much potential and power it couldn''t be ignored.

    Of course, proving that was a thing of its own, and most people with only one ability were rarely even given the rank of Leafling, which was the minimum to be accepted into a magic school. Ember frowned at the thought of magic school. She hadn''t gotten the opportunity to attend magic school in her prisoner or tyrant life.

    Everything she learned was through stolen books, coercion, and trial and error.

    That''s not entirely true.

    She had learned a lot through Viera and Tafria. There was also Priest Mercet who helped her a lot before he died. She wondered what the grumpy priest was doing now. Was he already wandering or was he still at his temple? She shook such thoughts away. Right now, her focus was getting her family somewhere safe and that meant getting them away from Lord Felis.

    "Ember!"

    Her head jerked up at the sound of her brother''s voice. He ran towards her before stopping and peering at her with a mixture of excitement and worry.

    "Did it work?"

    "The first part did but now I just have to convince them as myself."

    Rowan grinned. "That was awesome! So, what do we do next?"

    "You don''t do anything," Ember said with her hands on her hips.

    Her brother''s cheeks puffed out as he pouted. "Come on! I want to help."

    "You can help by preparing."

    "Preparing?" Rowan asked confused.

    "Didn''t I tell you I would try to get you ready to be a Seedling?"

    Rowan''s entire expression brightened. "Yes!" He looked at her expectantly. "When do I start?"

    "Soon. I have to prepare a few things."

    There were a lot of things to get started. She planned to give her brother that best chance she was capable of giving him. She knew she couldn''t guarantee he''ll become a Seedling but she would try to tip his chances in the right direction. But that wasn''t the only thing she had to do. The biggest obstacle they needed to overcome was money.

    It was time for a heist.

 7 - Finder

    The heist didn''t happen right away. There was too much that Ember had to prepare. The first was convincing her parents to go with her alter-ego, Bloom Larisel. Surprisingly, her parents weren''t as against it as she first thought. Talking with them proved that they were cautious but the knowledge that they would be able to come along had eased most of their fears. It also became clear they were considering taking the opportunity to escape the village.

    In the past few nights, Ember had woken up to her parents talking in muffled voices and making plans. She knew it wasn''t easy for them to leave their home but with Lord Felis''s special interest in her mother they knew it was a matter of time before something happened they were powerless to stop.

    Honestly, it was a miracle that Lord Felis hadn''t done anything yet but as much as he desired to possess Ember''s mother he also didn''t want her mother to truly hate him. Unfortunately, Ember knew from experience that wouldn''t last forever. He had already shown that when he grabbed her by the hair in front of her mother.

    Lord Felis hated Ember. She had been the sign that his childhood love for his dear Camila had been snatched away by another. Just the sight of her caused a burst of hatred through him. At first, he hid it well but over time he would nitpick or humiliate Ember whenever he would see her alone. Back then she had been timid and in awe of the noble so she never spoke about it to her mother and often would simply hide from his sight whenever he was around.

    The day he grabbed her by the hair was the day his need to protect appearances in front of her mother had waned. Perhaps, it was because he already had a plan to entrap her mother. It had been secured the moment her mother accepted his offer of a healer. A payment they couldn''t afford.

    Ember sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Finder"

    A large scroll appeared in front of Ember and unfurled, showing her the world of Ellasyr or at least portions of it. Finder never revealed an area she hadn''t been to. She could get a general shape of areas she might have seen on a map but it was blank or fuzzy. The only areas she could see clearly were places she actually been. On the map that meant the country of Nivikes and some areas of Farru, a country she fought in the past.

    Seeing the expanse of the map, Ember was struck with just how much of the world she hadn''t seen even with two lives in Ellasyr. Even back when she lived on Earth, she had traveled very little. Perhaps it would be something she did once she had secured her family.

    "Finder, find hidden coins."

    Immediately, dots appeared scattered all over the map. She looked them over in curiosity. She knew it was too wide a search but she liked to look around in case something stood out to her. She sighed at the many dots clustered all over the country.

    "Finder, find hidden coins forgotten by others besides myself."

    Immediately, tons of spots vanished and only a few remained. Ember looked at them. Almost all of them were in oceans, deep in woods or mountains. There were several locations but not as many as she might have hoped given that she was looking over the entirety of Ellasyr. Still, it was fine. In her previous lives she had discovered two in Ellasyr and she had plans to recover them once she was capable.

    Taking in another item in her future goals she decided it was time to focus. She needed money now and she knew the perfect place to rob without major repercussions if she played her cards right.

    "Finder, find hidden coins gained through embezzlement in a range of 10 miles from me."

    She had widened the area because she wanted to test a theory. Several dots appeared but none in the area of Lord Felis''s manor. She frowned. She knew for a fact Lord Felis was hiding some coins he had embezzled but it didn''t show on the map. She had expected as much but had hoped her Finder might have reset due to hew new life but it looked like her ability had no intention of letting her cheat.

    The way Finder worked was that she had to find an object. It meant that if she already knew the exact location of something it wouldn''t show up on the map. Since she knew where Lord Felis hid his ill-gotten goods it wouldn''t show on the map. Finder was a finicky ability that had many little rules.

    She often had to be precise in her asking otherwise she would get a jumble of dots like she had when she asked for hidden coins. It didn''t just show buried coins, but a person hiding a coin under their pillow or behind their back. What was considered hidden provided a wide interpretation.

    The same with forgotten coins. If a person read about a legend of lost treasure, then it wouldn''t be considered forgotten. And obviously she had to consider herself in the equation. On top of that it didn''t say how much was hidden so it could be a single coin or a mountain of them. The one time she had sent Lord Felis''s men out on a treasure hunt only for them to retrieve a single lost gem had not been appreciated.

    She shuddered at the memory. Back then he had beaten her so badly it took her weeks to recover. Her hand went to her chest but the brand was no longer there. A reminder that she had an opportunity to start over.

    Now focus!

    She turned her attention back to the map. There were four spots on it. Zooming into the map she noticed right away three of the spots were in town while one spot was three miles away from the town and deep into the woods. She stared at the spot within the woods.

    Was it a secret cache hidden away by the guard captain? She stared at the spot, debating whether it would be worth it. It would clearly be dangerous, especially in her weakened state and she had no idea what traps or guards might be there. She looked at the other three spots. They were all in town and would be easier to enter but she might be noticed by others, though her stealth should help her with that. Still, it was a tricky situation.

    Lord Felis''s guards were a group of retired mercenaries that he hired when he was able to regain some of his family''s fallen fortune. Retirement had made the ex-mercenaries lazy and lose some of their edge but they were still mercenaries deep down and Ember knew that one thing about mercenaries were that they were unpredictable.

    She frowned. Things would have been so much easier if all the treasures she collected in Keeper''s Hold had been there. Unfortunately, only one item had been inside of it and that item had been the most important item of them all - her soulbound weapon, Malleable, Mally for short. As disappointing as it was to lose all the treasures she had kept in Keeper''s Hold having Mally was more than enough.

    "Whoa, what''s that?"

    Ember jumped. She really wished her keen senses ability actually worked right now. She frowned at herself. She would have to do better if she wanted to rob a few mercenaries. Turning around she faced Rowan and Patricia. Rowan was staring at the map in excitement and even Patricia''s eyes sparkled.

    "It''s a magic map that my teacher lent me," Ember explained. She had gotten so comfortable she hadn''t really thought about how, unlike Keeper, Finder could be seen by anyone.

    Rowan gave her a sharp look at her explanation. He opened his mouth and then quickly shut it, glancing at Patricia. Patricia didn''t notice. The girl took a hesitant step forward and then fidget from side-to-side.

    "You can both look at it if you want," Ember said, moving to the side so they could see it.

    "Really?" Patricia squeaked out, taking another step forward.

    Ember nodded, giving Patricia a reassuring smile. Patricia hesitated for a moment more before rush towards the map in curiosity and started examining it. Rowan, though, stayed where he was. It was clear he wanted to look at it but he held himself back.

    "Your teacher gave it to you? You mean Bloom Larisel?"The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    "Yeah," Ember said, joining him.

    Their eyes met and an unspoken battle of wills commenced but in the end her brother realized that any explanation would have to wait until later. Rowan huffed and then walked over to join Patricia.

    The day after Patricia had shown her the cave, she had asked her if Rowan could join them. Patricia had been hesitant at first but agreed when Ember explained that she wanted a private spot to teach them both what she learned about Seedlings. Since then, they would meet every day in the cave. But Patricia didn''t know Ember was a Seedling and had bought into her being the Apprentice of a Bloom.

    Ember felt bad for keeping it a secret from Patricia but she promised to tell the girl once they had escaped Lord Felis''s grasp.

    "So...it''s just a map?" Rowan asked a moment later, obviously less impressed than he had been before. "Is it at least a treasure map?"

    Ember joined the pair. "It can be. It lets me see the location of things that I can''t find."

    "Really?" Rowan asked, his interest a little more piqued. He turned to the map. "Show me, Rigel."

    Nothing happened. Rowan frowned and poked the map only for his finger to phase through it.

    "Is it broken?"

    Ember laughed and took a step forward. "No, it''s just only responds to me." She looked at the map. "Finder, show Rigel within Goros."

    Two red dots appeared on the map. One stayed in place while the other moved around.

    "Wow!" Rowan leaned forward. "But why are there two?"

    Patricia looked thoughtful. "Does it mean there are two Rigels in Goros?"

    "That''s right," Ember said, giving Patricia an approving look.

    Patricia blushed with delight before quickly looking back at the map.

    Rowan gave Patricia a funny look before turning his attention back to the map. "How about dad?"

    From there, Ember found herself finding multiple things and people. It was mostly Rowan but even Patricia joined in. It went on for a while until Ember put Finder away and started her lesson for the day.

    "Do you know how many ranks Seedlings have?" Ember started.

    "Five!" Rowan shouted out.

    Ember nodded. "That is the official answer."

    Rowan puffed up at getting it right.

    Patricia raised her hand, something Ember had taught them to do though Rowan tended to just shout out his thoughts.

    Ember gestured for Patricia to speak.

    "If that''s the official ranking, does that mean there''s an unofficial ranking?"

    Ember grinned. "That''s correct. In actuality there are six ranks. Seedling is an unofficial rank."

    Rowan frowned. "That doesn''t make sense. Seedling is anyone that gets an ability."

    Ember nodded. "That''s right. But what would you call someone who doesn''t have a rank but has been chosen by Akashic?"

    "Oh! A Seedling!" Patricia said then clamped her hand over her mouth.

    Rowan glared at her before folding his arms with a huff. "That''s not really a rank. I mean they''ll get a rank after their registered."

    Ember shook her head. "That''s not always the case. There are several reasons a person might not get a rank. The first is if they never register."

    Patricia raised her hand before speaking. "Isn''t that illegal?"

    "It is but people still do it. They might stay hidden if they can though the King has Knights that search for illegal Seedlings."

    "The Thorn Knights," Rowan said with reverence. "The go after Seedling criminals."

    "They do. They are very strong and take their orders only from the King. The King is also able to gift them with the ability to recognize Seedlings."

    "Why would a Seedling not register, then?" Patricia asked.

    "Because they''re dumb," Rowan answered.

    "There are many reasons," Ember said, ignoring Rowan''s outburst. "It could be a commoner who doesn''t want to join the Akashic Order or be bound to a noble. It could be someone who became awaken in an undocumented way and wants to keep it secret. Of course, there are people who don''t register because they are ashamed of their abilities or want to hide them to do criminal acts. The reasons are endless, but no matter the reason, they are considered criminals by the King."

    She paused, meeting Rowan''s eyes. Her brother quickly looked away.

    "Of course, there''s a grace period as well. You have two months to register. This rule allows people time to get their affairs together or at least travel to the closest temple to register."

    When there were no more comments, Ember returned back to the topic. "Another reason a person will not get a ranking is if they are considered too weak. A normal practice is to determine a person''s rank by how many abilities they have. In order to get the lowest rank, Leafling, you have to have at least two abilities."

    Rowan frowned and this time he raised his hand before speaking. "But aren''t people awakened by priest given only one ability."

    "That''s right."

    "B-but that''s not fair!" Rowan shouted, jumping to his feet. "The Choosing only lets you be awakened by a priest. We don''t have a choice."

    "It''s not fair," Ember said flatly. "Most commoners will never get a rank."

    Patricia looked between the two and then raised her hand. "But there have been a few people who have gotten more than one ability from a priest. Knight Luther is even a Trunk that has only one ability."

    "That''s correct," Ember said and she noticed Rowan relax a bit though he didn''t seem quite satisfied.

    "It does happen but it is very rare. In most cases to get multiple abilities you have to access a sapling or even the Akashic Tree itself. But sometimes a two ability Seedling will awaken under a priest." She paused. "As to the one-ability Trunk, that brings me to the other way to get a rank."

    "While many people can get a rank when they register, people can raise their ranks through magic school. It gives people a chance to grow their abilities. Even a one ability person can gain a rank if they are shown to be powerful. Unfortunately, most magic schools require a person to have at least two abilities to join."

    "That means the only option left is achievements. A one ability person can earn a rank through achievements. That means going to the royal capital for the King''s Arena or being acknowledged by three nobles for acts directly tied to your ability and a rank petition to the King. Most try their luck in the arena since it''s the more straightforward though it can be extremely dangerous."

    "How did Knight Luther do it?" Rowan asked.

    "He did both," Ember said with a smile. "He fought in the arena and was also acknowledged."

    "That''s fantastic!" Rowan said. "If I only get one ability, I''m going to do the same thing. Though I''m sure I''m going to get, like twenty."

    "I don''t think anyone has gotten twenty abilities," Patricia said thoughtfully.

    "I''ll be the first then," Rowan said puffing out his bony chest.

    Ember grinned. "Maybe you will."

    For the rest of the lesson, they went over the five ranks:

    Leafling (2 abilities)

    Bloom (3-5 abilities or power range)

    Branch (6-9 abilities or power range)

    Trunk (10+ abilities or power range)

    Root (One of the top 25 most powerful)

    While Leafling rank was based on number of abilities, the other ranks were a combination of number of abilities and the quality of skill or power. It was why magic schools were considered so important.

    From there they talked about some of the more well-known Seedlings and their ranks so that they could have a better gauge of just how powerful a person had to be in order to gain a particular rank.

    The lesson ended up going on for much longer than planned and so it was almost dusk by the time they headed back. As usual, they walked Patricia part-way home, knowing that if they walked her all the way to her house it would just cause problems for her.

    What was unusual was how quiet Rowan had been the entire way. Despite his excitement about the Seedling heroes they talked about, when they started on their way home he grew quieter and quieter.

    Ember left him to thoughts. It was only when Rowan stopped just before they reached their house that she questioned it.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "I don''t get you."

    "Same," Ember shot back.

    Rowan scowled. "I''m being serious. You said you were woken by a priest then how do you have so many abilities? And how are you different from me? You said I''ll turn out as a dud but what makes you so different? Why weren''t you a dud?" He balled up his fist. "And are you planning to register or are you going to be a criminal? What happens if the Thorn Knights come after you? What happens if you-"

    "Hold on," Ember said, making a placating gesture. "That''s a lot of questions."

    "You have a lot of secrets," Rowan shot back.

    Ember winced and then rubbed her forehead. Was the past already repeating itself? No, she wouldn''t let it.

    "Look, there''s a lot of things I haven''t told you but it''s not because I want to keep secrets from you. It''s because I want to make sure we''re safe first. I promise to answer all your questions but we have to get out of here first."

    "Why do we have to wait? Don''t you trust me?" Rowan said in frustration.

    "I do!" Ember shouted and then calmed herself. "You''re my one and only brother and I trust you the most. What I don''t trust is Lord Felis and his group. I''m worried if they find out they''ll force me to work for him and use it against our family. I just want to get us out of here and then I''ll tell you everything."

    Rowan''s face twisted up and it was clear he was struggling but eventually he nodded. "You promised. Don''t think I''ll forget."

    "I won''t. It''s a promise."

    Rowan seemed to relax after that and they continued their walk home. As they walked, Ember couldn''t help wondering what would happen once she did tell Rowan the truth.

 8 - The River

    Ember sat in her room staring at the item section of Keeper''s Hold. Only one object shown on display - a gray sphere that looked like putty. She couldn''t help looking at all the items spots that once held treasures but now only held empty cases. Of the three sections of Keeper''s Hold, Abilities had changed the least and that was with all her abilities being locked or nerfed.

    Her knowledge section wouldn''t even allow her access. She turned back to Mally and summoned it to her. The clay ball appeared in her hand. With a thought, she had mally transform, wrapping around her waist like a belt.

    She focused back on Keeper''s Hold.

    Each of the three sections of Keeper''s Hold had rules. Abilities only allowed up to thirty abilities and if she wasn''t strong enough to hold the abilities, she could use it only for a short while (sometimes not at all) before it returned to its owner. Any ability she released returned back to its owner, unless the owner was dead then, well, she wasn''t sure what happened to it. Possibly it returned back to the Akashic Tree.

    The Knowledge section allowed a person to keep any knowledge they obtain as long as it was from a source. It worked as a personal library and just like a library, having the knowledge didn''t equal understanding. There was also a limit to what could be kept there before the brain gained maturity which happened around the mid-twenties. It was why nobles who were shooting for mind focused abilities often waited until they were in their late twenties to awaken as a Seedling. Ember figured that was the reason her Knowledge section was locked to her but not gone like her items. She had multiple lives worth of knowledge but not the brain maturity to use it. Which made sense. It was just extremely annoying. She had strange bursts of intense emotions she felt she was barely controlling and she was sure her judgement was impaired by her age.

    Maybe that was why she was hesitating. She had made her plan and she was ready to start, but instead she was standing in Keeper''s Hold. She balled up her fist.

    Get it together.

    She turned back to the Item section. It was different from the other sections with its limitations. There were three settings - number of items, weight of items, and soul size. Each of the settings effected the other, but whichever setting was chosen would have precedence. Number of items allowed 15 items to stay within Keeper''s Hold. Something that would be problematic if you tried to put a bag of coins since it would count each coin separately. When it came to that, it was better to go with the weight setting, which allowed up to 500 kg, which added up to around 38 gold bars or 15,000 gold coins. Something she had tested out in her previous life.

    Lastly was the soul size which she wouldn''t need unless the item was a plant or egg. Animals and people couldn''t be put in Keeper''s Hold. Their Soul size was too big. She had tried to see if she could raise the limits on Keeper''s Hold but so far she hadn''t had much luck.

    "Weight," Ember said. There was a click, indicating the setting had changed. She closed Keeper''s Hold.

    With a deep breath, Ember stepped out of her room and bumped straight into her mother. Her mother was carrying a large basket in her arms.

    "I was wondering if you were planning to sleep the entire day away." Her mother gave her a sharp look. "Gather up the bedding. You can help me with the wash."

    Ember froze. "I already made plans to-"

    Her mother simply looked at her.

    Ember stiffened and then sighed. "Yes, Ma''am." She hesitated. "I need to tell Priest Octorin I won''t be coming."

    Her mother frowned. "How long were you supposed to help him for?"

    "Only a couple of hours. I can probably help him for an hour and then come back to help you with the rest of the laundry."

    Her mother sighed. "I suppose you can go but you''ll at least have to help me carry the laundry to the river and back. And you''ll be in charge of hanging it on the line and putting the laundry away. Don''t think I haven''t noticed you running off early in the morning without doing any chores."

    Caught! She knew it would be only a matter of time but she had hoped she could avoid it until they moved. Then she would have the excuses of lessons with Bloom Larisel. She hated cleaning. "Yes, Ma''am."

    Her mother nodded. "Now gather up the laundry."

    After that, Ember helped grabbed the bedding as well as her and Rowan''s clothes. Then with two baskets of clothes, the pair set off for the river. The river wasn''t too far away, a little past the fields. The fields were mostly wheat though several farmers had started planting bean crops. They passed through, several people waving at her mom.

    They continued until they reached the river. It separated most of the western forest from the town. Already several women were at the river, washing. Most of the women tended to do laundry on the same day since it was safer that way. While the loggers were in the forest cutting trees, they sometimes went deeper to get particular trees that Lord Felis wanted or that would bring them more money.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Mostly it was the hunters that kept the wildlife at bay, but they were hired by Lord Felis and tend to be pretty distant with the townsfolk. All hunting had to go through Lord Felis and he often kept the meat or sold it to the guards or merchants passing through. When meat came down to them it was usually the worst of it or meat that had been illegally poached. You would think a noble would take care of his people so he could grow his town, but Lord Felis refused to waste precious resources on such undesirable peasants.

    "Set the basket right there, Ember."

    Ember shook herself from her thoughts and turned to where her mother had pointed. It was next to a blond woman that Ember only vaguely remembered.

    "Connie, are you almost done?" her mother asked and then she turned to chat with the woman, the pair talking excitedly about the preparations they were making for the Choosing.

    Ember glanced down the river, seeing that many of the women had multiple baskets, making it clear that everyone was doing extra laundry in preparation for the Choosing. Lord Felis was putting on a festival and Ember had heard some merchants had already arrived at his manor.

    Since they weren''t the only town going through the Choosing, people would be spread out, but it was clear at least several visitors would be coming, so Lord Felis planned to put on a show and probably try to entice the rich to put down roots or businesses.

    It was the perfect time to sneak into a house and do a bit of robbery, since the guards would clearly be busy. She glanced back at her mother, waiting for a lull long enough between the women for her to make her exit.

    "Mom, is it okay-"

    Her mother waved at her, interrupting her sentence. "Go on, but make sure to hurry back so you can help me carry the laundry back home."

    Ember grinned. "I''ll be quick!"

    She turned away. She would go straight to the houses to rob then to the temple to help solidify her alibi. She''ll work at the temple for at least an hour, then she''ll return to her mother to help. Laundry could take hours to do depending on the amount of clothes and how dirty they were. She actually felt bad leaving her mother with so much work, but she knew it was for the best.

    Ember glanced back at her mother with a guilty look when movement caught her eye. She stopped, frowning as she looked at the river bed. At first, she wasn''t sure what had caught her eye. It was moving water and of course there were fish at times though most would have moved further downstream to get away from all the humans.

    There! She saw it again. It shouldn''t have been an issue to see something in the water but it bothered her. Maybe she was overthinking. Was she procrastinating because she was nervous about breaking into the guard captain''s house? It could be that. She was a lot weaker than before and she didn''t have a complete measure of what she could and couldn''t do.

    The answer seemed likely and she turned away, mentally scolding herself for allowing fear to delay her. She started walking away. A splash sounded behind her and then there a sharp scream rent the air.

    Ember whirled around to see a black leech the size of a golden retriever was right next to her mother. Her mother was staring at it in horror. The giant leech''s black body moved up and down in a grotesque slick wave.

    Ember ran. She wasn''t far from her mother but it felt like she was miles away. More screams filled the air just as she grabbed her mother, yanking her away from the river bank.

    "Everyone, run away!" Ember shouted.

    "Connie," her mother said, her voice shaking. "She''s under that thing."

    Ember twisted her head to see the giant leech with its shuddering moving and strands of blond hair underneath it. Then her gaze turned to more leeches coming up from the river. Most of the women had escaped and were already running but a few were like Conine. One woman was battering at a leech that attached itself on her leg and was steadily wiggling up her body.

    Ember tugged her mother away and as she did something slammed into her mother''s shoulder and she fell to the ground. Fear surged through Ember until she saw thick white mucus pinning her mother''s arm down. Her mom kept pulling at it but it wouldn''t budge.

    Ember snatched Mally from off her waist and with a thought it shifted and became an axe. Ember slammed the axe down on the mucus breaking it apart. As she did, something flew towards her. She jerked back and then spun around.

    One of the leeches was moving towards them. As it moved closer, it opened its mouth and spit a jet of mucus at them. Instantly, Ember expanded Mally, reforming it into a shield and smacking it in the dirt in front of them, protecting them from the onslaught. She turned back to her mother.

    From the back of the shield a small chain poured from Mally and attached to it was an axe. It was smaller than before but Mally only had so much mass to work with and the bulk of it was being used as a shield.

    She slammed the axe against the mucus. It was harder and sticky, but she managed to chop most of it away. Her Seedling strength just enough to handle it. Soon her mother was freed and she raised the shield, or tried to. The mucus kept it in place. She shifted Mally into a ball, freeing it from the mucus and then reformed it into a shield, lifting it slightly from the ground just as another of the projectiles hit it. From there she had them move away from the river, moving backwards to keep the mucus from hitting them. It was awkward but the leeches were slow and their projectiles while fast didn''t go too far. Soon they were out of reach. Ember would have kept running but her mother stopped. She looked at the shield and then at Ember but didn''t ask any question. Instead, she turned to look at the field.

    The leeches were pouring from the bank. Some people had escaped but others were pinned down by the mucus. The leeches moved slowly out of the water so they shot the balls of mucus. Ember glanced to where Connie had been. The leech that had been on top of her was gone, but she stayed lying there. Ember was too far away to see what her body looked like but she had an idea.

    This shouldn''t be happening. It didn''t happen before.

    "We should help them," her mother said, looking at a woman that was pinned down by mucus. Her voice was shaking, filled with indecision. "I would want them to help me."

    "I''ll do it," Ember said.

    Her mother looked at her with wide eyes and then shook her head. "No. You''re a child. I should do it."

    "It''ll only listen to me," she said, raising her shield.

    "No," her mother said, shaking her head vehemently. Her hand grasped Ember''s wrist. "We''ll get help."

    Ember hesitated. She didn''t owe these people anything. There was no reason to help them. She closed her eyes.

    It could have been my mother.

    She smiled at her mother. "Get help. I''ll be okay." Then she pried her mother''s hand from her wrist and ran.

 9 - Leeches

    Ember ran towards the nearest woman. She was pinned down by the mucus. The leech was steadily dragging its body towards her thought it was still far away. It didn''t stop the leech from spewing a jet of mucus. She raised her shield blocking it and just as she did with her mother, she kept the shield covering them as she used her small axe to chop away the mucus.

    Once the lady was free, she scrambled up from the ground and started running. Ember moved swiftly, blocking a jet aimed at the woman. The woman didn''t look back. Ember quickly scanned the area. There were some leeches that were still far away from people pinned down so she focused on the ones she could get to. There was one woman who was screaming and waving what looked like a knife at a leech that was almost on top of her.

    Another woman had a leech halfway covering half her body, staring in shock. She decided to go for the fighter. She dashed forward, raising up her shield. She blocked the jets shooting at her while dodging others. She tried not to look at the faces that desperately looked at her as she passed.

    I''ll come back for you, she silently thought but she wasn''t sure if that was true. There was only one of her and while being a Seedling made her naturally stronger, she was still in the body of a slightly malnourished twelve-year-old.

    The leech was almost half-way over the knife-waving woman''s legs. It hadn''t completely covered her, mostly due to the knife. The leech let out a shriek and then jerked its head back. Ember dashed forward and shoved her shield over the woman as the leech spewed out one of its jets.

    She shoved the shield against the leeches and then had Mally push spikes from the shields surface. She felt slight resistance and then the spikes pierced into the leech''s body.

    The leech reared back with a loud shriek that sent a shudder through her body. Immediately, Ember shifted Mally, this time into a sword and shoved it deep into the leech''s body. The leech let out a cry and then tried to drop one of its mucus jets over her head, but she already jerked out of the way, having Mally transform into a ball and then back into a sword as she smashed it down on the leech''s head.

    The knife went through halfway. Ember pulled it out and tried again. This time she decapitated it. The body wiggled around and then flopped down dead. She didn''t have time to look at it, because she had garnered several leeches attention and some were turning to her or shooting their jets of mucus at her.

    She positioned her shield, blocking most of the projectiles. As before and made the chained axe to break the mucus around the woman while keeping the shield prop. It was slightly annoying having the chain but Mally had to stay whole.

    "What the hell are you doing girl?" The woman demanded.

    "Saving you," Ember answered.

    "You''re just a kid."

    "A kid that''s saving your ass," Ember snapped as she finally broke the knife woman free.

    The woman jumped to her feet. "Damn monsters!" Then she was running, but instead of escaping, the woman was running towards the monsters. For a moment, Ember watched her. The woman weaved through the projectiles so quick that Ember had to wonder how she had gotten hit in the first place. The next thing she knew the woman was jumping on top of a leech and stabbing her knife into its head.

    Ember could only blink before her attention turned to the next leech. She ran forward, Mally held up in its shield form. Like she had done with the other one, she smashed her shield into it and pushed spikes into its flesh.

    This would be easier with magic but if she used it then the guards might notice. She was sure she would be questioned about Mally already and if they saw signs of magic then it was likely that Lord Felis might connect the dots. The man had the inspection ability and if he used it on her then he would definitely discover she was a Seedling.

    Mally it is!

    The leech shoved her back, using its weight in an attempt to throw her off. It worked. Ember found herself on the ground. She rolled just as a jet of mucus shot in her direction. She raised the shield as another jet of mucus was shot towards her. She shoved forward, bashing the shield against the leech. The leech jerked back just as her spikes pushed out once more.

    It reared back its head to spit at her and she quickly transformed Mally. A sharp spear was shoved into the leech''s head, pinning its mouth shut. It wiggled frantically, tugging on her arm with such force that she struggled to hold on.

    She shifted Mally again and a sword was now in the leech''s head and she sliced to the side. Before it could recover, she swung down at the leech, slashing into the top of its head. This time it went limp. Ember moved to the woman, breaking her from the mucus like she had done the others.

    "Run," Ember said as soon as the woman was free.

    The woman looked at Ember with wide blue eyes. She looked around 19, maybe younger. "Where?"

    A quick glance around showed Ember that the field was covered by the giant leeches. While Ember was sure she could dodge the mucus jets, she couldn''t guarantee anyone else could.

    Where the hell are the guards?

    "Do you have a weapon?" Ember asked.

    The girl shook her head. Ember looked across the river to the woods. The girl could probably make it there but that''s only if no more leeches came out of the river. Then she saw something move in the trees. Her body tensed. Was something else about to attack?

    An arrow shot through the air and pierced into one of the leeches. A hunter stepped out from the trees and with him were several loggers with axes and saws. A wave of relief went through her at the sight.

    "They shoot mucus that traps you to the ground!" She shouted to them in warning.

    Several men stopped at her warning but a few shot forward. Immediately, two were pinned to the ground while another attack one of the leeches, cleaving its head off.

    "They''re slow so as long as you dodge the mucus you''ll be safe. Don''t let them crawl on top of you."

    "Ember!" She heard a familiar voice shout. "Stay there!"

    Ember decided to do just that. Mostly due to the luggage she had at her side. She stayed behind the shield until heavy steps came behind her. Her father ducked down. Ember spread Mally wider to cover them.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "Are you alright? Where''s your mother?" Her father''s face was covered in sweat and his axe dripped with blood and mucus. He must have killed one on the way to her.

    "Mom escaped and I''m all right." She studied the field.

    Their odds were better now that they had more people with weapons, but several people were still getting hit by the mucus.

    "It would work better if everyone had a shield, but they should move in teams. Have two people kill the leech while one person breaks people free."

    Her father stared at her and then looked at the shield. "Do you think you can get to town?"

    She nodded. "But you''ll need me here. My shield can help."

    Her father frowned.

    "You should give him the shield," the woman she saved said, looking around her in fear.

    Ember glared at the blue-eyed woman who shrunk back from the look. She tried to calm down. She knew that to the woman it made sense that the 12-year-old gave the shield to the adult.

    "No," her father said. "You''ll need it to protect yourself." He paused. "Can you keep the shield up while we move."

    Ember nodded.

    "Stay close." Then they were moving.

    Her father moved on the outskirts of the field, stopping in front of fallen men and cutting away the mucus with his axe while Ember shielded him. Each time he told them to find others and move in a group like she had suggested.

    After the fourth one her father turned to her, frowning. "Is your arm getting tired?"

    "No," she lied.

    Her father stared at her and then wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her up and slightly supporting her arm.

    Ember stared at him in shock. "I''m heavy."

    "You''re light," her father countered.

    "You can''t fight like this."

    "Then I won''t," her father said and kept carrying her.

    The blue-eyed woman looked nervously between them. "Maybe he should-"

    "Keep up," her father said, interrupting the woman and then he sped up.

    Her father still stopped to break people out of the mucus but avoided the leeches, moving Ember so her shield would block the mucus jets. Finally, they arrived at the destination her father had been moving them towards. It was the hunter that had fired the arrow earlier.

    "The guard should arrive soon," the hunter said immediately.

    "They should''ve been here a while ago," Ember spoke up.

    The hunter looked at her then at her shield. He then looked at her father. "Yours?"

    Her father didn''t answer him and looked out at the field. "I need to get my girl out of here and the young woman."

    The hunter nodded. "Kill some on the way."

    Ember frowned. "I should stay and help."

    "You''re twelve," her father said.

    "I can help."

    "Maybe but it''s my job to protect you. Let''s go."

    She tried to protest but her father was already moving, carrying her in one arm.

    "Put me down. You can''t fight like this."

    Her father hesitated but put her down and then they were moving again. They didn''t get far before they encountered one of the leeches. Her father didn''t hesitate. He stepped forward and swung, decapitating it in one powerful swing. Ember swiftly moved to his left, elongating her shield as another leech shot at them. Behind her the woman let out a squeak but otherwise kept quiet.

    Ember changed the shape of the shield and they kept moving. Her father kept low to the ground so Ember could cover them better. Sometimes her dad would stop and kill a leech then free a person while Ember kept the shield up.

    Her father gave her a worried look when he saw her arm wobble but Ember ignored it. She would make this stupidly weak body do what she needed. Still her father sped up. They didn''t stop as much as before. Her father cleaved through any leech that blocked their way before moving on.

    Ember found herself growing more and more tired. Then her hand lowered and she found herself smacked in the throat with the mucus. Her shield slowed down the hit but she still toppled over at the impact.

    I can''t breathe!

    She gasped for air as the mucus tightened around her neck and pinned her to the ground. She clawed at the mucus but realized how futile that was. Was her throat crushed? Was this how she died?

    Somehow the thought of dying calmed her and she realized she could still breath though it felt like someone was choking her. Her throat wasn''t crushed. How? Was it because Mally took part of the force or was it because of the slight boost to her body from being a Seedling? She wasn''t sure but she was okay. Well, except she was trapped.

    She could see her father on the side of her. He was fighting two leeches. He cut off the head of one but as he did the other shot another mucus jet at him. It hit his shoulder and he jerked to one side but he didn''t fall. His arm was stuck to his side. So he let go of his axe and twisted to grab it in his other hand.

    He swung but the strike was sloppy. He was obviously not used to using his left hand.

    I have to help.

    If her father was hit by another mucus jet then it might be over for them. The woman that was with them had simply fallen to the ground, staring at the battle between the leech and her father.

    Ember gritted her teeth in frustration. If she could call Mally this would be solved in a matter of seconds but despite Mally literally being bound to her soul she wasn''t able to call it to her. She hadn''t managed to strengthened her bond with the weapon enough.

    But she had other abilities and she didn''t have time to be shy about using them. She called up a small flame in each hand and pressed them against the mucus. She focused on strengthened the flames but making them small. The flames grew hotter, pain stretched across her palms but she kept pushing. The heat rose and her skin began to blister but then she felt the mucus loosened.

    Ember grabbed at the mucus and pulled. It stretched and broke. She leapt to her feet and raced to where Mally was. She grabbed the ball up and immediately shifted it into a shield and then her eyes darted to her father. He was still fighting the leech, he managed to get some awkward blows but he was struggling. It looked like he had been hit by another jet of mucus, pinning his foot to the ground.

    Ember raced to the leech and slammed her shield against it, pushing spikes out until it dug into the leech. The leech reared back. Her father''s sharp axe came down on it, cleaving off its head.

    Ember turned to her father. He was okay. They were both okay. Well, almost. Ember turned to the blue-eyed woman.

    "Come here and help break this mucus off. I''ll shield us."

    The girl looked at Ember like she didn''t want to do it but she hurried and climbed to her feet. Taking the axe from her father, she began carefully breaking the mucus away. It took longer than Ember liked but her father was free and soon they were running and this time they didn''t stop until they reached the farm fields. Only then did the slow down.

    Her father stopped and turned to the woman. "Go on ahead."

    Ember gave her father a curious look but didn''t say anything. The woman nodded and she started to turned to walk away but her father stopped her, his large hand resting on her shoulder.

    "Remember, my daughter saved you. There''s nothing more you need to say other than that."

    The woman looked confused but she nodded.

    Her father frowned but nodded and let the girl go. He was quiet until the woman was out of sight and then he turned back to her.

    "You need to hide that thing." He nodded to Mally.

    Ember nodded and Mally transformed, becoming a belt around her waist. "You know she''s going to tell people about it."

    "Yeah," her father said, rubbing his forehead.

    "We can tell people I borrowed it from Bloom Larisel."

    Her father frowned. "No. Lord Felis will start digging if he knows a mage is interested in you. We don''t want that sort of attention."

    "He''ll come when he hears I have a soulbound weapon."

    "Yeah," her father said, rubbing at his chin. Then he looked at her. "I''ll take you home."

    She frowned, not liking the way he said that. "You''re planning to come back, aren''t you?"

    "Got to." He nodded to the field. "There''s still people there and we have to make sure that they don''t reach the rest of the town."

    Ember shuddered at the thought but she hated the idea of her father going back there without her. She looked down at her blistered hands and she knew if she returned, she would be more a hindrance than help. She wanted to at least give him Mally to use but a soulbound weapon wouldn''t allow another to hold it unless they died.

    Her father followed her gaze to her blistered hands. "Shit." Then he scooped her in his arms and ran home.

 10 - Heist

    Her dad patched her up as much as he was able and then tucked her into bed. He frowned when he noticed Rowan wasn''t around but didn''t say anything about it before rushing out the door. Ember''s body screamed for her to rest but she knew she couldn''t let this opportunity past. With her body sore and aching she called upon an illusion. Her appearance was of a boy, nondescript in appearance. Then she placed stealth on herself.

    What she was doing was chancy but it was too perfect a time for her to waste. She winced a little at that thought but forced herself to push to the back of her mind what was still happening by the river with the leeches. Her family came first.

    With that thought running through her mind, she snuck out of the house. She didn''t really need to sneak but she was worried about running into her mother. It would have been good to have an illusion of herself sleeping just in case but it wouldn''t hold up with the distance she would be putting between them.

    Instead, she would have to make this fast. She hurried down the dirt path leading to the town. As soon as she reached the town, she noticed there were groups of people clustered together. Their gazes darted around in fear.

    "Do you think they''ll come here?"

    "The guard is there now. They''ll wipe them out."

    "They sure took their sweet time! How many people died while they were slacking down here."

    "Shush. If Welk finds out about what you said an ''accident'' might just happen to you like the last time."

    Ember frowned at what she was hearing but she didn''t pause. No one''s gaze lingered on her and she moved through the crowd without any problem. She paused to look for any sign of her mother but she didn''t see her. She felt a little worried but she knew her mother was probably safe.

    She kept moving and she didn''t stop until she reached the first house. She moved to the side of the house and listened. She didn''t hear any movement and there were no guards. The house was a nice size and covered in flowers. It didn''t seem like a home owned by the captain of the guard or his second-in command. Was it the stewards?

    She had never been to the steward''s home but she knew he had more lavish taste. It didn''t seem to fit him. He also had a wife and two children and the house seemed much too small for a family of his means.

    Thinking about her next move, she pushed a stream of wind through the house, silently hoping her magic wouldn''t fail. Holding her breath, she let the magic move through the rooms. She focused on the stream, letting it travel throughout the rooms until she pulled it back to her.

    When it reached her, she shaped it into a cone and then pushed. Sounds released from the cone, mostly small things but then she caught one, breathing. The soft, steady breathing of sleep. There was someone sleeping in the house. But that was it, one person. She sent the wind in again, this time trying to determined which room the sound was coming from. It took some tweaking but she discovered that sound was coming from a room to the right of the house.

    Ember moved to the left side of the house. She looked around her to make sure no one noticed her, before moving to the left back window. Her stealth would help keep her undetected but it wasn''t perfect, especially not at her current level. Still, it would do for most people, just not if she ran into a Seedling.

    Luckily, the guards while experienced weren''t Seedlings, at least not all of them. She was sure Welk was and possibly his second-in-command. At least she knew the steward wasn''t a Seedling.

    Taking a breath, she moved to the window. The window was locked, a rarity in most houses in their town. Not because everyone trusted each other but that it was something most houses didn''t have. They closed the shutters but there were no locks so it was unique that this house had locks on them.

    Still, it was a simple latch and one she could open easily. She pulled Mally from around her waist and shifted it into a thin knife. She slid it between the shutters and slide it up. Her hands shook from the pain of her blisters and she had to stop and try again. She managed it the second time. Undoing the latch, she then pulled the shutters open and stepped into the house.

    Once inside, she looked around at what looked to be a small sitting room. The room was surprisingly feminine. Whose place was she in? She crouched down in a corner out of view of the doorway.

    Finder.

    The map came up.

    Finder, find hidden coins gained through embezzlement in a range of 10 meters from me. She looked around nervously.

    The map zoomed in and she could see the spot where the coins should be. A place only a few meters from her. Ember sent the wind through the house once more and when it came back she confirmed that the person in the house was still asleep. She began to move.

    She kept her steps quiet as she crept out of the sitting room and down the hall. She knew she had to be quick. The likelihood of someone arriving to the house was high, especially in the day. She just hoped since everyone was distracted with the monster attack that it would work in her favor. Though that only worked if she was in one of the guard''s home but she was pretty sure this wasn''t the steward''s home.Stolen story; please report.

    As she moved, she came closer to the room where the person slept. The door was cracked and through the crack Ember saw a woman sleeping on a large bed. Then it dawned on her whose home she was in. It was the mistress of the second-in-command. She didn''t know much about the woman and had only seen her once or twice in her past life.

    Her shoulders sagged in relief as she hurried down the hall. She went into the kitchen and once again called up the map. The map zoomed in and she could see a dot appear next to the sink. Ember moved closer to it.

    Sending her wind under the floorboards, she let the wind push underneath until she felt something box shape blocking it. She grinned and began prying at the boards. While she worked on the floorboards, she kept a steady stream breeze circulating through the mistress''s room. She wanted to be prepared in case the woman woke.

    Her movements were clumsier than she would like due to her injuries and exhaustion, but adrenaline poured through her body keeping her quick. Then she found it. Instead of opening the box, she shoved it into Keeper''s Hold and then quickly put the floorboard pieces back. She called up Finder once again, making sure she didn''t miss anything and as she did the wind came back and something had changed.

    The mistress was awake.

    There was no time to sneak back to the window she had climbed into so instead Ember darted for the front door. As quietly as she could she unlocked the door. Holding her breath, she opened it.

    "Is that you Myron?" She heard footsteps moving closer.

    Ember rushed through the door, shutting it behind her and then hurried to the house next door, hiding behind it. She waited a few minutes. She could hear the door open and she had an idea that the woman was looking around. A minute passed then another and the door shut. Ember waited a few more minutes and then hurried away.

    She had wanted to check out the other locations but it was too risky. For now, she would see how much was in Myron''s box and then decide from there if she would need to rob the other two. Decision made, Ember wrapped Mally around her waist and began making her way back home.

    On the way back, she noticed a group of people coming from the direction of the river. They looked worn and beaten up. Her gaze searched for her father but there was no sight of him. She kept moving to the house. It was only when she was near the door that she dropped the illusion around her, though she kept stealth on.

    She stepped into the house and immediately halted. Her mother was standing in the middle of the kitchen. Anger raged in her eyes. Even with stealth on, Ember knew she couldn''t slip away. She really wished her stealth was better.

    Her mother took a step forward. Ember took a step back. She could run but she was sure that wouldn''t go over well. It was too late. There was no escape. She dropped stealth and waited for hellfire to run down at her.

    Her mother grabbed her and pulled her into her arms, hugging her tightly. "You stupid, stupid girl."

    Then her mother started to weep. Panic went through Ember and she hugged her mother tightly. "Mom, what''s wrong? Why are you crying?" Fear stabbed through her. "Is Dad okay? Is Rowan?"

    Her mother pulled away from her and nodded. "Rowan is fine. He''s in your room where you should''ve been. Are you hurt?"

    Ember raised her hands. "Dad patched me up."

    Her mother frowned. "He went back there then?"

    She nodded.

    Her mother''s eyes narrowed. "Then he brought you back here and then left. Then where have you been?"

    Ember met her mother''s eyes. "I''ve been here."

    Her mother face twisted in disbelief at her bold-faced lie. "What does that mean, young lady? If you think for one sec-"

    Ember grabbed her mother''s hands, squeezing them. "Mom, please. I know you want to know but its better if you just think I was here the whole time."

    Her mother frowned and she knew that wasn''t going to be good enough for her mother. A loud knock sounded on the door, interrupting her mother''s probing. Ember took the chance and dashed away, stepping into her room.

    Inside, she was surprised to see that it wasn''t just Rowan inside but also Patricia. She put a finger to her lip and then quickly called up Keeper''s Hold. She stuffed Mally inside and then closed it.

    Rowan and Patricia watched her with wide eyes. Ember ignored them, her attention turning to the possible guests.

    Ember turned to the door, pressing her ear to it. She would have tried using her wind ability but if there was a Seedling out there it might be possible for them to sense it. Being a Seedling came with some magic sensitivity. So, she focused on eavesdropping the old-fashioned way.

    She could hear two male voices. One polite and the other demanding, then there were sound of steps coming toward the room. There was a knock on the door.

    "Ember, can you come here for a minute?"

    She frowned and then opened the door. Her mother stood outside, her body tense and her face filled with worry.

    "Who''s here?" Ember asked.

    Her mother''s lips tightened. "Captain Welks and Knight Vantosia are here to see you."

    Ember''s eyes widened. "Knight Vantosia? The delegation for the Choosing arrived."

    Her mother looked at her strangely and then nodded. She looked like she was struggling with something and then she shook her head. She looked past Ember to Rowan and Patricia. "You both stay here. Don''t come out until I tell you."

    Ember glanced back at her brother and smiled. "It''ll be fine."

    Her brother nodded, the nervousness on his face vanishing. "Of course, it will."

    Then Ember stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Before she took another step, her mother took her hand. "I''m here."

    Ember smiled and squeezed her mother''s hand. "It''s fine."

    Then together they went into the kitchen. Stepping further into the kitchen, Ember saw two man. One was a tall, muscular man with black hair and a face that looked like it was chiseled from stone. He wore armor that gleamed in the dim room, making everything around him look dingy. His eyes were watchful and the clearest blue Ember had ever seen.

    Welks on the other hand wore worn leather, and looked like a man that would feel more comfortable in the midst of a pit fight. Welks sat at their kitchen table, leaning his chair on its back legs. As soon as his eyes landed on Ember they gleamed with excitement and greed. His gaze searched her and his lips twisted in annoyance when he didn''t see what he was looking for.

    "Where is it? Where''s the soul weapon?"

 11 - Visitors

    Ember had expected that someone would recognize that Mally was a soul weapon she just didn''t expect them to act on it so soon. Maybe that had been naive of her to think. Soul weapons were extremely rare, rare enough for people to kill for them. Clearly, an ordinary commoner child would be at a disadvantage if they bonded with such a weapon. Luckily, she wasn''t ordinary. Still, she had to be careful what she did next. While Welks was dangerous she wasn''t afraid of him but the knight was different.

    She had never met Knight Vantosia Moze in either of her past life despite him being part of the Choosing delegation in both her lives. But she knew of him. He was a knight that was a beacon to all. A man who was known for his honorable spirit. He had sacrificed his life for his kingdom in the fight against the Dawneater. And her enemy, the Vantosia Crusaders, hunted her down in his name.

    She wasn''t sure how to feel about him. Was he a good man? Or had legends countered truth to make him an icon of justice and benevolence? She was leaning towards the second one, especially since he was here with Welks.

    "Did you hear me girl?" Welks growled, shoving up from his chair.

    "That''s enough," Knight Vantosia stated, clamping his hand on Welks''s shoulder and forcing him back into his chair.

    Welks glared at the knight. "This is Goros business, Knight Vantosia. You don''t need to get involved."

    "True," Knight Vantosia said. "But monsters are the kingdom''s business and therefore mine. I thought that was why you were here."

    Welks crossed his arms. "Let''s not play dumb, Knight Vantosia. You''re just as interested as me in a soul weapon but Lord Felis has right of it since it was found on his land."

    "It wasn''t found on his land," Ember said, cutting through their argument.

    Both men looked surprised but Welks quickly recovered.

    "You lying piece of shit! Where else could it have come from?"

    "Don''t you dare to talk to my daughter like that?" Her mother snapped, stepping in front of Ember. "And why are you here anyway, Welks? I doubt Lord Felis sent you here without him."

    "If you think just because Lord Felis is sweet on you that I''ll put up with-"

    "Enough," Knight Vantosia said, slamming his fist down on the table. He looked coldly at Welks and then turned his gaze to her mother, before turning his eyes on Ember.

    "What is your name, child?" the knight asked and as he did his eyes began to glow faintly.

    "Maiden Ember, daughter of Mister Zeris and Matron Camila."

    Knight Vantosia nodded, clearly pleased at her formal introduction. "And you said that the weapon wasn''t found on Lord Felis''s land?"

    "Yes."

    "How can you be sure?" Knight Vantosia asked.

    Ember hesitated. She knew what she said next would cause issues later but as soon as she used Mally she was already headlong Into a mess. Still, it was one she might be able to detangle herself from if she played her cards right.

    "It was found in the Hungry Lands," Ember stated, meeting the knight''s gaze.

    His glowing blue eyes narrowed and then widened. "True."

    "Bullshit!" Welks said. "You little liar."

    "She''s telling the truth or are you doubting my ability?" Knight Vantosia asked, and his voice sent a chill through the room.

    Welks opened his mouth then quickly shut it when he saw Knight Vantosia''s hand tighten on the grip of his mace.

    Welks gritted his teeth and next when he spoke his voice was strained. "Got it. It''s from the Hungry Lands. So how did she get it?"

    Ember looked at the knight and then at Welks. She met the guard captain''s eyes and grinned. "That''s a secret."

    With a growl, Welks leapt from his chair and threw himself towards Ember. She took a step back but Knight Vantosia was already moving. His mace was in his hand and he swung, slamming it into Welks stomach. The man flew through the air and crashed against the wall, knocking over the shelf that hung there.

    Besides her, her mother gasped, covering her mouth as she stared at Welks in disbelief. The knight glanced at the guard captain before his attention turned back to Ember and then her mother.

    "I apologize for the mess, Matron Camila. I think this discussion would be better had at the temple, but first I believe I should return the captain to his home. Please bring Ember to the temple in an hour."

    "Yes, Knight Vantosia."

    He gave her a clip nod and then walked over to Welks. Welks groaned as the knight grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet. That he could still walk showed that Welks was indeed a Seedling, probably a physical type if he was able to walk away from such a hit.

    The two men walked out of the house. Her mother rushed to the door, peering out at it before latching it shut. She immediately turned to Ember.

    "That weapon you had...is it really a soul weapon?" her mother asked.

    Ember nodded.

    Her mother rushed over to her and gently put her hands on Ember''s shoulder. "I know you want to keep it Ember but we''ll need to give it to Knight Vantosia. Keeping it will be too dangerous."

    Ember shook her head. "I can''t."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "Why?" Then her eyes widened. "Did Bloom Larisel give it to you?"

    Ember hesitated. That would be a perfect excuse but in the end she shook her head. "It''s soulbound to me."

    Her mother''s eyes widened and she dropped her hand from Ember''s shoulder. She stumbled to one of the kitchen chairs and sagged into it. "What are we going to do?"

    She knew what her mother was worried about. Since the weapon was soulbound it meant only death would separate her from it. To her, Ember was walking around with a death sentence hanging over her head.

    Ember walked over to her mother, squeezing her hand. "It''ll be fine, Mom."

    Her mother gave her a tight smile. "Yes, it will." It was clear her mother was just trying to reassure her and possibly herself.

    "Bloom Larisel will protect me," Ember said, trying again.

    "Bloom Larisel," her mother said and then nodded. Her mood lifting slightly. "I doubt she would leave you to fend for yourself after giving you such a gift. And if that doesn''t work, we''ll just have to run."

    "We''ll go with the delegation that way we''ll be safe."

    Her mother looked unsure. After her experiences with Lord Felis, a group of powerful people didn''t exactly equate safety. She was right too. While it was likely they would be safe with the Akashic Order it was a different story when it came to the knights. Fortunately, there should only be two knights in the delegation though that certainly wasn''t a small thing.

    Still, it was strange that the delegation was here early. It should''ve been at least another 4-5 days before they arrived. What changed? Was it tied to the Blood Leech attack? Why was everything changing? She didn''t know and that bothered her. She obviously didn''t want everything to stay the same but she wanted to be the one changing things.

    She sighed and pushed it aside. She would look into it when she could but right now, she needed to focus on her family. As soon as her family was safe, she could start working on building up her power and finding answers to her questions.

    Feeling a bit better, Ember focused on her mother who was staring worriedly at the door. "I''m going to check on Rowan."

    Her mother nodded absently and then turned sharply to look at her. "Get ready to go to the temple." She hesitated. "Are you bringing the weapon with you?"

    "I''ve hidden it in a place no one will be able to find," Ember said.

    Her mother looked doubtful but she nodded and glanced back at the door. "Hopefully, your father will be back soon."

    When her mother didn''t say anything further, Ember went into the room she shared with her brother. As soon as she went inside her brother and Patricia rushed to her side.

    "Are you okay?" Patricia asked.

    "Was there really a knight out there?"

    "Yes and yes." She squinted her eyes at Rowan. "You cared more about the knight than me?"

    "Well, the knight was there so you would be fine."

    Ember blinked and she was sharply aware that her brother was indeed ten. He didn''t understand that all knights weren''t good.

    "I suppose he did protect me," Ember said thoughtfully.

    "He did? What happened? Did he have a sword?"

    "A mace," Ember said and then she began to tell the pair what happened.

    "That was great! I wish I could have been there to see it," Rowan exclaimed while swinging his arm like he was fighting imaginary foes. "Though it would''ve been better if he had a sword."

    "Then you can tell him that when you see him," Ember said.

    Rowan''s eyes widened. "Am I going to meet him?"

    "Probably," Ember said.

    Rowan jumped in the air, excited. "I can''t wait. Maybe I can see him fight. What abilities do you think he has?"

    "He can tell if you are lying," Ember answered.

    Rowan froze and turned to Ember. A flicker of fear went through his eyes. "Will he-" Then he abruptly stopped, his eyes going to Patricia.

    "I''ll be fine," Ember said quickly. "But I need you both to do me a favor."

    They pair nodded their heads.

    "You can''t mention Bloom Larisel and what you''ve seen me do or what I taught you. If you can, avoid talking to Knight Vantosia. Rowan, you might not be able to avoid it but if you do meet him just don''t say anything about me or at all."

    She paused, rethinking that. "But if you feel you are in danger, come to me and if you can''t you can tell them what you know. I don''t want you to get hurt."

    Rowan''s lip curled. "You''re telling us not to tell and then to tell. You''re not making any sense."

    "I don''t want you to put yourself in danger to keep my secrets."

    Rowan crossed his arms. "Well, I''m not telling anyone, not the knights, not even the king. I''ll protect you."

    "What a great brother I have," Ember said. "But don''t push yourself. I mean it."

    "Me too!" Patricia piped up. "I''ll keep your secret."

    "Thank you, Patricia," Ember said and then she couldn''t help herself and pulled the pair into a tight hug.

    "Ugh," her brother said, immediately pushing her away.

    Patricia stiffened and then relaxed, cautiously hugging her back.

    When she released them, Patricia''s face was red while Rowan just looked disgusted.

    She started laughing and her brother glared at her.

    Patricia looked quizzically a her but then her face set in one of determination, even as she started to fidget.

    "Um, can you tell me how you made that gray ball disappear?"

    Ember blinked and then groaned. She had been in a rush and had to open Keeper''s Hold to hide Mally. Since they couldn''t see Keeper''s Hold it must have looked like she had simply made it vanished.

    "It''s a secret," Ember said.

    Patricia looked disappointed at her answer but didn''t push.

    "You sure have a lot of secrets," Rowan grumbled.

    "I do and the best way to keep them is not to tell anyone."

    Rowan huffed but didn''t say anything more about it. She figured he would ask her about it when they left Goros like she promised.

    There was a knock on the bedroom door and then her mother opened it. "Come into the kitchen you two." Her attention turned to Patricia, looking at the girl in surprise. It was clear she forgotten Patricia was still here.

    "Patricia, it''s time for you to head home." She frowned. "No, I wouldn''t want you walking home alone after the attack. Why don''t you wait in here while I have a talk with Rowan and Ember then we''ll walk you home."

    "You don''t need to," Patricia said quickly. "I can leave."

    Ember''s mother shook her head, giving Patricia a gentle smile. "Nonsense. We''re not going to have you walking alone with monsters about. Now just stay here until I call for you."

    Patricia looked desperately at Ember.

    "We''ll walk you to the same spot like we always do," Ember stated.

    Patricia looked relieved at that and then she sat down in the room.

    Ember''s mother gave Patricia a worried look before closing the door. Rowan and Ember followed her into the kitchen and immediately a wave of relief engulfed her.

    Her father stood in the kitchen, whole and well. He looked at Ember and sighed.

    "It looks like you''ve already gotten yourself into some trouble."

    She nodded. "Yeah."

    He shook his head. "We''ll just have to get you out of it."

    Ember rubbed her cheek. "Sorry."

    Her father shook his head. "What you did back there was brave so there is no need to apologize."

    "There certainly is a need," her mother stated. "It was brave and I am proud of you but I don''t want you doing that ever again. We''re your parents. We''re the ones that should protect you."

    "We should protect each other, not just you protecting us," Rowan interjected, straightening his shoulders. "We''re a family. That''s what we''re supposed to do."

    Her mother sighed. Her father didn''t say anything but he could tell from the way his lips twitched, trying to hold back a smile, that he was proud.

    Yeah, they were a family and Ember would try her hardest to make sure they survive. No, not only survive. They would thrive.

 12 - Interrogation

    Her family decided to go together to the temple and soon set off. Coming back to town, the cheer from the last few days was gone. A blanket of grief and fear hung over everything. It felt so strange because everything around them looked just the same. Since the monsters never reached the town there were still half-decorated shops and stands prepared with knick-knacks. A few local merchants still stood outside but no one was buying.

    Ember caught sight of several injured people and others whose faces were painted with grief. She wondered what was going to happen, especially now that the delegation had arrived early. Would they start the Choosing or would they wait until after the funerals? She grimaced at her thoughts, but shoved such feelings away. There was nothing she could do for the dead. Her focus was on the living.

    "Hey, girl!"

    Ember glanced over to see a woman hurrying over to them.

    "You, girl with the weird eye," the woman called out.

    Ember frowned and then it dawned on her who the woman was. It was the knife woman she had saved. The same one who had ran off and immediately leapt on top of a leech and started stabbing it.

    "What do you want with my daughter?" Her father said, stepping forward.

    "Calm down. You''re a big one, aren''t you?" The woman said, giving her father a long appreciative look.

    "He is and taken," her mother said, glaring.

    "I get it. Sheesh, what a family." The woman''s bright green eyes turned to Ember. "Kid, I didn''t get to thank you before. You saved me back there."

    Ember nodded. "Did you kill that leeched you jumped on?"

    "Saw that, did you? Yeah, I did and another two after that. Those damn monsters."

    "We''re on our way to the temple," her mother said, interrupting.

    "All right. I don''t mean to hold you up. Kid, what''s your name?"

    Ember''s eye twitched at being called a kid but she shoved it away. "Ember."

    "I''m Justine. I owe you one. I mean it. You need something, you come find me."

    "Okay," Ember said. She didn''t think she would take her up on her offer. After all, they would be leaving Goros behind soon.

    "Nice meeting you all," Justine said, waving at the family before trotting off.

    Ember watched her go, bemused. She was an interesting woman.

    Her mother threw one last glare at Justine''s back before they continued walking to the temple. Rowan grinned, obviously getting a kick at seeing their mom acting jealous. Dad didn''t seem to notice or at least pretended not to.

    It didn''t take them long to reach the temple and Priest Octorin was waiting for them. As soon as they arrived, he hurried them into the temple and one of the rooms used for guest. Ember couldn''t help noticing the amount of people clustered into the temple. Since the town didn''t have a healer, they depended on the temple to help with the injured and sick.

    "I apologize that I can''t stay with you," the priest said as they all sat down in the backroom he brought them to. "But there are many people who are in need of me after the attack. Knight Vantosia will meet you here as soon as he returns."

    Then the priest was gone back to the mass of injured waiting for him.

    The room was quiet. Five minutes past, then ten. After twenty minutes her parents began to talk softly among themselves. Rowan was swinging his legs back and forth in boredom. Ember simply felt irritated. Why did the knight tell them to meet him in an hour if he wasn''t going to even be here?

    She sighed. She supposed this gave her time to think. For the most part, her plan was to answer the knight''s questions truthfully about Mally and the attack. She wanted to also see if she could determine what kind of person he was. Depending on that determined what her next steps would be.

    Right now, she wasn''t sure what to make of the knight. Sure, he beat up Welks when he tried to attack her but Welks was being a dick so the knight could''ve just did that for himself. Either that or he was trying to gain her trust so he could get to the soul weapon.

    If he was after the weapon that could be a problem. She had no delusions that she could take on a knight as she currently was. Sure, she could take him off-guard but he was a knight and not just any knight. He had defeated the Dawneater. Still, she had her tump card. She didn''t like to use Soul Torture but she would if it came down to it.

    Another twenty minutes pass, and then there was a knock on the door before it was swung open. Two men stepped in. One was Knight Vantosia and the other was a familiar face, Priest Beslen, the priest that had awaken her in her prisoner life. The priest was young, probably around 18 or 19. She figured that the Choosing was one of his first assignments. She never had much of an impression about the priest one way or another besides him being a priest that had the Blessing ability which meant he could awaken people. Which, honestly, was a big deal.

    "Priest Beslen, this is the girl I told you about, Maiden Ember and her parents Mister Zeris and Matron Camila." The knight paused when his eyes turned to Rowan.

    "Rowan, sir. Ember''s brother," her brother squeaked out, his eyes so wide they looked like dinner plates.

    "And Rowan," the knight said, smiling faintly. When the priest didn''t say anything, the knight turned to him.

    The priest on the other hand was gawking at Ember.

    "Priest Beslen," Knight Vantosia said.

    "Oh! Oh, sorry, I just...you''re cursed," the priest said, staring at Ember''s eye.

    "Yes," Ember said. "I''m not sure how it happened."

    As she spoke, Ember noticed that Knight Vantosia''s eyes began to glow. It looked like she had to be careful what she said from her on out.

    "You don''t know who placed a curse on you?" the priest asked, curious.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "No but I assume it''s someone who doesn''t like me," Ember said with a shrug.

    The priest nodded his head in agreement. "I supposed that is possible. It''s a terrible thing to happen to a girl your age, well anyone really. Are you okay? Does your eye hurt at all?"

    Ember blinked. A little surprised at the kindness in the priest''s voice. "No. it doesn''t bother me. I forget it''s even there unless someone points it out."

    "Oh! And I did just that with all my staring. I hope you''ll forgive me. It was a surprise."

    "There''s nothing to forgive," Ember said, flippantly.

    "There certainly is but I''ll take your words as accepting my apology," the priest said with a warm smile.

    Ember found herself smiling back and then frowning. This priest Beslen had a way of breaking through the careful barriers she put up. A very dangerous man.

    The priest turned to her parents. "Mister Zeris and Matron Camila, I apologize for getting ahead of myself. I have some questions for your daughter as well as you both. Do I have your permission to continue? Yours too, Maiden Ember."

    Her parents looked between each other in surprise and some suspicion.

    "Do we have a choice?" her father asked.

    The priest nodded his head. "You do. You certainly do. Well, in some ways. You don''t have to answer my questions if you don''t want. I won''t force you but I can''t say the same for your Lord. I''ve noticed he''s a bit pushy."

    Knight Vantosia cleared his throat.

    The priest looked at the knight with a confused look. "What is it? It''s true, isn''t it? Very pushy. If he been a little less pushy, we would have gotten to the town sooner and had helped all those people."

    "Priest Beslen, please refrain from criticizing the nobility in front of their charges."

    "So stuffy," the priest said, waving his hand.

    "Priest Beslen," the knight said, clearly exasperated.

    "Fine," the priest said with a huff before turning his attention to her parents. "Do I have your permission?"

    Her parents shared a look and then nodded.

    The priest then turned to Ember. "And you, Maiden Ember?"

    "Yes."

    "Wonderful," the priest said. "Now, we''ll have to do this one-by-one. Let''s start with Mister Zeris."

    Priest Beslen rang a bell and an acolyte came in shortly after, guiding everyone from the room, leaving only her father, Priest Beslen, and Knight Vantosia. They were led to another room where a table of food was laid out. She wondered if this food was there for the delegation.

    "Please help yourself," said the acolyte before excusing himself and leaving.

    Immediately, Rowan dashed to the table and began grabbing as much food as he could.

    "Rowan," her mother said aghast. "Manners."

    Ember could only laugh as she joined her brother. After all she hadn''t eaten all day. After a while, an acolyte came to get her mother but her father didn''t return. It was clear they were keeping them separate in order to prevent them from collaborating their stories.

    "I don''t think you need to be nervous. Priest Beslen seems alright," Rowan said.

    "The more likable someone is, the more wary you need to be of them," Ember replied back.

    Rowan rolled his eyes. "You think everyone is out to get you."

    Ember frowned. "And you''re too trusting."

    "I''m not. I don''t trust Lord Felis or Welks or the entire guard."

    "But you''re saying you trust Priest Beslen after just meeting him."

    Rowan leaned back in his chair. "That''s not what I''m saying. I just think he''s not so bad. You don''t need to think the worst about him."

    Ember noticed that her brother was growing sullen so she let it go. "Maybe."

    They sat in silence, Rowan munching away. Then the acolyte gestured for her and she found herself directed to the same room from earlier though she saw no sign of her parents. When she entered, Priest Beslen and Knight Vantosia were inside.

    "Please sit," the priest said, his expression a little strained. He shook his head and then focused on Ember. "Madien Ember, I know you have been through a lot today but do you think you''re up for telling me what happened at the river?"

    Ember looked at Knight Vantosia and then back at Priest Beslen. The knight''s eyes were already glowing.

    "Yes," she said and then she began to tell them about everything that happened at the river. The only thing she left out was how she used her fire element ability to burn herself out from the mucus around her neck, instead just stating she managed to break free.

    Beslan stared at her and shook his head. "You are an extraordinary girl, Maiden Ember. Not everyone could have handled the situation as calmly as you did and you even went back to help."

    "I helped because I would want people to help my mother if our positions had been reversed," said flatly. She didn''t want to give the idea that she was some self-sacrificing hero. That type of attention could become annoying.

    The priest nodded. ''That is certainly an interesting view."

    He paused and he looked thoughtful. "Now I must ask you about your soul weapon."

    Ember stiffened.

    "You said the weapon came from the Hungry Lands?"

    "Yes," Ember answered.

    "Now that is quite a feat but how did it end up with you?"

    Ember hesitated. "I can''t say."

    The priest''s eyebrows went up at her response. "Why can''t you?"

    "If I talk about it, I''ll be in danger," Ember said, honestly.

    The priest frowned and then looked at Knight Vantosia. He nodded.

    "Well, that is quite the predicament. Do you know having the weapon will put you in danger?"

    "Yes," Ember answered, crossing her arms.

    "Do you plan to keep it?"

    "Yes," she said firmly. Her eyes narrowed waiting to see how the pair would react.

    The priest frowned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He then leaned forward and his face grew hard. "Maiden Ember, when I say you could be in danger, I mean there are people who will kill you. And not just you but your family too. Keeping that weapon will risk you and everyone you care for. Are you sure you''re not willing to give it up?"

    Ember tilted her chin up and met the man''s eyes. "I''m sure."

    She waited. Seeing if they would attack her now or would they wait later to go after her? Maybe they would make it seem like an accident.

    Priest Beslen sighed and then shrugged. "Oh well, it looks like she''s going to keep it. I suppose we''ll have to keep you safe until you are strong enough to protect yourself."

    "What?" Ember asked, shocked.

    "It would be terribly neglectful to have you wandering about with a target on your back," the priest said with air that said he thought this was just plain common sense.

    Ember just stared at him then turned to Knight Vantosia whose expression gave nothing away.

    "So ,you can stay at the temple until we are ready to leave. It''ll keep Lord Felis out of your hair. Luckily, I heard you and your family are already planning to travel to get that curse looked at. I suppose we can figure out details in the midst of that."

    "Wait," Ember said, frantically. "I can''t. I signed up for the Choosing."

    "That shouldn''t be a problem. You-"

    "No," Ember said, interrupting the priest. "If I stay with you and if I get picked, Lord Felis will say that the Choosing was tampered with. I can''t stay with you."

    The priest stared at her and then sighed. "You really are an interesting girl, Maiden Ember." The priest tapped his chin thoughtfully and then snapped his finger. "Let''s assign you a knight." The priest turned to Knight Vantosia. "We can have Knight Garrick watch over her."

    "It''s our duty to protect you," Knight Vantosia protested.

    Priest Beslen waved the words away. "Yes, yes. I''m well aware what your duty is. There are two of you, I''m sure one is enough or do you plan to leave this girl alone with a soul weapon? That''s a death sentence and frankly not very knightly of you."

    Ember stared between the two men, trying to make sense of the conversation she was hearing. Was this a tactic to keep the soul weapon within their grasp? Possible but it felt too... casual. She wasn''t sure how to feel about it.

    Finally, Knight Vantosia nodded. "I''ll watch over her."

    Priest Beslen blinked. "You will?"

    The knight glared at the priest. "You said she needed a guard. I''m offering."

    The priest grinned and clapped his hands. "Then it''s settled."

    Ember stared at the pair. The knight of truth was going to guard her? This was going to be a headache.

 13 - The Box

    Ember tried to dissuade Priest Beslen, pointing out that they didn''t have the money or space to house a knight. Unfortunately, the priest already had an answer, stating the knight could take care of his own food and was used to roughing it if need be. Knight Vantosia didn''t object so that was the end of it.

    She tried again with different arguments but the priest seemed amused at her protest. He pounced on her every excuse with common sense and solutions. Eventually, she gave up and besides with Knight Vantosia around it would help to keep her family safe until the Choosing. The only problem was that the knight would be watching her and she wouldn''t be able to continue with her plans to rob the other houses. Even her plans to practice her abilities wouldn''t be possible. She couldn''t chance the man having a high magic sensitivity and finding out she was a Seedling.

    She would wait until they reached the city. Then she could be free and start working on getting stronger and recovering her abilities. Maybe even start getting some new ones. Still, there was one thing she needed to do and she would have to do it quickly. So when Priest Beslen and Knight Vantosia brought her back to her family and started going over their decision to have a knight guard her, Ember decided to take the opportunity to get her plan underway.

    "I need to go to the toilet," Ember stated.

    "Me too," Rowan piped in.

    Ember frowned at her brother but he just gave her a knowing look.

    "You two," her mother said, embarrassed. "You don''t have to announce it. You know where it is."

    Knight Vantosia started to stand but Ember waved her hand at him. "I can go by myself."

    "It''s dangerous," the knight said.

    She stomped her foot, looking very much her age. "I don''t want you coming with me. It''s bad enough my brother is coming along."

    "Hey!"

    "It''s fine, Knight Vantosia," Priest Beslen said. "Give the girl a little privacy. She has had a long day."

    The knight scowled but he sat down. Ember immediately darted out of the room with her brother following behind her. Once they stepped out of the back rooms, Rowan spoke up.

    "So what are you really up to?" her brother asked.

    She put her finger to her lips and looked around. Instead of going to the outside sege house, she moved to the section of private prayer rooms on the outskirts of the center room where the stone tree stood. She peeked into one. It had been taken over by an acolyte for the worst injured of the townspeople. They laid on makeshift beds while an acolyte treated them. She moved to the next room which was fortunately empty. Ember gestured for Rowan to follow her as she darted inside.

    The inside was made of a prayer altar covered with a cloth and several cushions on the ground. There were two small tables on either side of the room with a bowl of water. Ember went to one of the tables and carefully lifted the bowl and set it on the floor. Then she dragged the table and pushed it against the door.

    Rowan watched her, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "You''re like a spy or an assassin."

    "I''m neither you know." Moving the table was a small thing but she found her breathing grow heavy from the act. It looked like all her fighting and sneaking around town was getting to her. She pushed it away. There was still a lot to do.

    Ember called up Keeper''s Hold and pulled out the box she had stolen.

    Now that she wasn''t in a rush, she had time to look at it. It was black and from what she could see there was no latch or even a slit to indicate it wasn''t just a block of wood. As she examined it she noticed the box began to vibrate. Then pain lashed over her hand.

    She flinched, dropping the box in the process. She looked at her hand and noticed that it was bleeding.

    "What the hell?"

    As Ember looked at her hand, she noticed sharp marks cutting into her fingers and they seemed slightly burnt. At first, she wasn''t sure if they were new burns or the burns she had already suffered from earlier but they were too uniform, making an imprint like a bite.

    "Um, Ember, is that box growling?" Rowan asked, staring at the box.

    Ember blinked and immediately turned to the box. It was indefinitely growling. It was a low rumble and with each growl the book shook.

    Ember''s eyes lit up. "It''s a beast box!"

    "Beast box?" Rowan asked, staring with interest at the box but not quite daring to get closer.

    "It''s a magical item made from the skin of a beast and embedded with its essence."

    "Uh huh. So how do you open it?" Rowan asked, stepping a little closer.

    "You have to befriend it which takes a long time and sometimes is near impossible when it has a strong bond with its owner."

    "Befriend a box?"

    Ember nodded. "That''s the best way. Of course, you can just destroy it but that could damage what is inside and beast box are very strong."

    "I guess you''ll have to make friends with it then?" Rowan nudged the box with his foot and then jumped back as it moved with a short jerk.

    "No, I don''t really have time for that," Ember said, looking thoughtful.

    "Then are you going to destroy it?" Rowan asked and there was excitement in his voice. Always destruction with that one.

    "No, that would be a waste," Ember said and she crouched down in front of the box. "But luckily there''s a third way." She called up a small fire within her hand and then she pressed it to the box.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "I thought you weren''t going to destroy it," Rowan said as he watched her.

    "Just watch," Ember said. The box gobbled up the flame. Ember poured more of the elemental flame into it and the box swallowed it down greedily.

    Ember pushed out a steady stream of flames until she started to feel light-headed from the expenditure. When she was sure that she wouldn''t have enough magic to fuel any more of the flames the box finally opened.

    "Wow," Rowan said.

    Small pants spilled from Ember''s mouth but she was grinning. "Beast boxes aren''t too hard to open if you have the right type of magic. Each beast type has an affinity and if you feed it that affinity then it''ll open right up. It''s one of the drawbacks of a beast box but still useful against commoners and most seedlings."

    She then reached into the box. Inside were two pouches. A peek into one had her grinning. It was filled with copper coins. The other was even better. Though it wasn''t full it had at least 30 silver coins, even a few silver bril. But what really made her eyes widen was the one gold coin gleaming in the mix of silver. It was a gold flat, so the lowest gold coin grade but even that was more money than she expected. One gold flat was worth 1000 silver flats and 40,000 copper brils. With this her family would be set for life. And that wasn''t all the box had to offer.

    Within the box were two gleaming monster cores and a small pelt of soft teal fur. The monster cores she couldn''t do much with since she wasn''t a crafter but depending on the quality, she could get something made with them or just sell them. The pelt looked familiar but she couldn''t place it but the teal color at least meant it would be worth something.

    "It looks like this was his retirement fund," Ember remarked.

    "Whose? Did you steal it?" Rowan asked both intrigued and wary.

    Ember decided not to answer that. Instead, she looked around the room before her eyes settled on the tablecloth. She took Mally out of Keeper''s Hold and moved to the cloth. She tried to get Mally to shift into a pair of scissors but the soul weapon stubbornly refused. She sighed and focused on shifting it into a knife instead. Then she began cutting away part of the tablecloth.

    "What are you doing?" Rowan asked.

    "I''m making a pouch."

    Rowan looked exasperated. "But you already have two of them."

    "I don''t want to chance anyone recognizing them."

    She put 10 silver flats, 5 silver tons, and 1 of the silver bril in the makeshift pouch. It left her with 7 silver flats, 5 silver tons, 2 silver brils and 1 gold flat. She hesitated and put a second silver bril in the makeshift pouch. It was better to be save than sorry. Putting the small fortune back into the box and keeping the white makeshift pouch by her side, Ember had to wonder why Myron even stayed in Goros. Was he saving for something or was it pure greed? She suspected it might be greed. If his embezzlement had brought him this much wealth then there was definitely more he was hoping to gain. In any case, his greed was her good fortune. She closed the box and put it and Mally back into Keeper''s Hold.

    "I can''t wait until I become a Seedling," Rowan stated as he watched everything.

    Ember grinned. "I can''t wait to see what abilities you''ll get."

    "They''re going to be great. The best ones, " Rowan said cheerfully.

    Ember laughed. "Okay, so this next part I''ll need to do alone."

    "What? Why?"

    "It''ll look strange if you''re with me," Ember said and then she called up the familiar illusion of Bloom Larisel. "I''ll be right back. Stay here until I''m done."

    She took a step forward and a wave of dizziness washed over her. Her illusion flickered. She shook herself and forced the illusion to stay in place. She must have pushed herself too much. Her magic must be low and needed time to recover. It didn''t help that she was still worn out from the battle.

    Just a little more.

    As she was gathering herself, Rowan had pushed the table away from the door.

    "Thanks," she said and then hurried out. She had to make this quick.

    She moved swiftly around the temple but it was crowded and several acolytes were running around helping the injured. They must have been acolytes from the delegation since the temple only had two. It took her longer than she liked to find Priest Octorin and by the time she did her illusion had flickered twice and beads of sweat were running down her face.

    Still, she pulled herself up and mustered all the grace she could manage. "Priest."

    Priest Octorin didn''t say anything. He was too busy focusing on a distressed young couple, his hands gripping theirs.

    "Priest Octorin," Ember said again, this time much louder.

    "Just one moment," the priest said, not bothering to turn towards her. His attention stayed focus on the couple.

    That''s when Ember felt it. It was subtle, a trickle of magic that spread from his hands to the couples. The tension in their faces eased and their shoulders sagged.

    The priest smiled at the couple. "Your daughter will be fine. The best thing you can do is rest and let her see your bright faces tomorrow."

    "Thank you, Priest Octorin. We''ll come by tomorrow."

    Ember watched the couple go as Priest Octorin turned to her. "How can I help you..."

    "Bloom Larisel," she said, frowning. "What ability was that?"

    Priest Octorin looked at her in surprise. "Comfort. It''s an ability to help ease and calm the soul."

    "I never heard of such a thing before," Ember said.

    Priest Octorin just smiled in answer. "How can I help you Bloom Larisel?"

    She held out her makeshift pouch. "Here. I would like you to see that this gets to Maiden Ember. Please do not give it to her until it is time for her to leave with the delegation."

    The priest looked at her in confusion. "I don''t understand. Why are you giving this to Maiden Ember?"

    "It is simply to help her while she is in the city. I would accompany her but I have other business that needs my attention." She met the Priest''s eyes. "She informed me that you have provided for her to see some priests about her curse."

    "Yes. It was unfortunate what happened to her. To have such a powerful cursed placed on her. I haven''t seen anything like it." The priest''s brow furrowed. "But...you''re not staying for the Choosing?"

    Ember raised her hand and three elemental spheres appeared in her hand - fire, water, and earth. It was both a sign of intimidation and a confirmation of who she was. "Like I said, I have other business elsewhere."

    "Of course, I apologize for prying," the priest said with a small bow of his head.

    "Apology accepted. Now please make sure that pouch gets to Maiden Ember and with not a single coin missing." Without another word, she stepped out of the temple. She walked a little while before circling to the back where the sege houses were only to freeze.

    Outside was Knight Vantosia. It was clear he was waiting for her. She quickly dropped the illusion and took a deep breath. As soon as she stepped around the corner, the knight gaze snapped towards her.

    "Where were you?" Knight Vantosia demanded.

    "I needed some time to myself," Ember stated and the words were technically true.

    "And your brother?"

    "He''s inside. I told him to wait for me in the prayer room."

    The knight frowned. "That was dangerous. Someone could have ambushed you outside."

    "I''m fine," Ember said, trying to hold back her annoyance and failing.

    "For now," the knight said. "Listen, Maiden Ember, what you just did was dangerous. What Priest Belsen told you wasn''t an exaggeration and even I can''t protect you if you go running off."

    "I understand," Ember said and she felt more sweat running down her skin.

    "Do you?" the knight said. "This isn''t a game."

    "I said I get it!" Ember shouted. A wave of dizziness washed over her and her vision grew blurry. She tried to focus. Knight Vantosia was saying something to her but his words sounded fuzzy and she couldn''t stop sweating. Why? She wasn''t using any magic anymore so she should be fine.

    Before she knew it the world began to tip on its side. She landed with a thud. She tried to get up but her limbs wouldn''t move. She could see Knight Vantosia running to her side. His lips were moving. What was he saying? She tried to concentrate but she was just too tired.

    Then it didn''t matter. Her eyes drifted closed and everything went dark.

 14 - Quest

    Knight Vantosia cursed himself for not reaching the girl before she fell to the ground. He was so busy scolding her and looking for signs of Welk and his lot he didn''t even realize the girl''s condition. With quick steps, he reached Ember and gently pulled her into his arm, careful not to hold her too tight.

    She really was just a child. Her frame was thin even thinner than was normally expected from working commoners. How could such a child have managed to fight against blood leeches? Was her soul weapon just that powerful? He had to admit he was curious to see the weapon but he didn''t wish to scare the girl especially after that fool of a guard had so clearly shown his greed. It was fortunate that she was going to Hekral with them otherwise he was sure she would be dead shortly after the delegation left.

    Of course, there was no way he would have left her to her fate even if Priest Beslen hadn''t decided to step in. There were multiple reasons but the main one was a glowing golden scroll that had appeared a few days after the delegation had set out.

    Just the thought of the scroll made it appear before him. The scroll unfurled in front of him.

    ---

    Quest of the Akashic Tree

    Befriend Ember of Goros

    Reward: Possible survival, A Token of Gratitude

    ---

    Van stared at it before willing it away. The scroll curled up and disappeared. Van continued walking with the girl in his arms. His feelings about the quest were complicated. He had never heard of the Akashic Tree giving out quests and a part of him wonder if this was some sort of trick. Should he report it to his superior? That would be the right thing to do and he would have done that before he had met Ember.

    As the knight in charge of the delegation, he had spurred them on to Goros much faster than the planned timeframe. It wasn''t just the quest but an urgency he couldn''t name. And in the end that urgency had been confirmed when he discovered that an attack had happened on the small town. An attack that was unusual since the townspeople had never had to deal with blood leeches before. They weren''t even aware they existed.

    And in the middle of it all was Ember of Goros. A child. It had been totally unexpected. He had been ready to confront this Ember and she was a twelve-year-old girl who had risked her life to help her townspeople. A quick glance down at the girl showed her in a fitful sleep. His gaze drifted to her bandaged hands.

    What could this all mean? And why was he supposed to befriend her? The wording of the entire quest was strange. It didn''t tell him to save her or even to protect her, just befriend her. It was infuriating.

    Once he was inside the temple, he caught the eye of an acolyte who rushed over. "She collapsed. She needs to be treated."

    "Of course. I can take her," the acolyte quickly said, holding out his arm.

    Van looked over the man and frowned. "Just point me to where I should put her."

    The acolyte dropped his arms and with a nod, led them to one of the many makeshift beds they had set out for the injured townspeople. Honestly, it was a shoddy set up, mostly made of hay and sheets. Then again, the temple was likely unprepared for such a sudden onslaught. The town was closer to a village than a real town. It was only the placement of a temple and the Lord''s manor that made it a town.

    He had heard that Baron Felis pushed for the temple after he took on the family legacy. The man was trying to rebuild the family after it had been demoted from a Count to a Baron and stripped of its wealth two generations ago. Surprisngly, the Braon had managed to build up a significant amount of wealth if his home and hiring of an entire mercanry group as guards was a sign. Unfortunately, the wealth hadn''t been spread down to the town and the guard were more like thugs.

    Van shook such thought from his head as he reached the bed the acolyte guided him to. He looked at it, reluctant to set the girl down, silently wishing for better accommodations. It was a useless thought. Van set her down and turned to the acolyte

    "Stay with her until I return."

    "But the other patients..." The acolyte swallowed his words when Van directed a cold look in at. "Yes. I will."

    "I won''t be long," Van said. He didn''t want to bully the acolyte when he was only trying to help people.

    With a clip nod at the man, he turned away. He started to walk to the back rooms but stopped. Instead, he glanced around, intending to grab a free acolyte but the problem was there was no free acolyte available. Each one was busy helping the injured. What they needed was a healer. The delegation was supposed to have one  but at the last minute the King had removed him from the delegation.

    It wasn''t too surprising. Healers were rare and therefore a luxury. While the Akashic Order usually assigned a healer to any priest with blessing abilities when they traveled, they''re treaty with the royal family called for them to come when they kingdom called for them. Something that had been urgently needed after a surprise attack happened on a popular tourist city. In some ways, the attack on the town was a very small copy of that. Why were the monsters attacking so voraciously?

    Giving up on getting an acolyte, Van walked to one of the prayer rooms. It was in the second one that he found Ember''s brother.

    "It took you-" The Boy''s words abruptly cut off when he saw Van. His eyes widened and there was a hint of awe in his face as he looked up at the knight. "Knight Vantosia."

    "Your sister has fainted. Inform your parents," Van ordered.

    The boy frowned. "What happened? Did you do something to her?"Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Van looked at the boy in surprise. The boy''s fist was balled up at his side like he was ready to attack if need be despite facing down a man in armor.

    "I didn''t do anything to your sister. Now get your parents. It is best I stay at your sister''s side." Van turned and then stopped. "And notify Priest Beslen as well."

    Then he left the boy behind, returning to Ember. When he reached her, he noticed the acolyte had rewrapped her hands and put a wet towel against her forehead.

    "She has a fever," the acolyte stated. "I''ve done the best I can to help her but she''ll need time to rest."

    "Do you have any potions you could give her?"

    The acolyte looked at him like he was crazy and then quickly dropped his gaze as if realizing just who he was facing. "Our potions are limited, Knight Vantosia. They are being used on the more seriously injured."

    Van frowned, reading between the lines. It seemed Ember was not worth wasting a potion on. A streak of irritation went through him but he simply grunted. "You may leave. I will watch over her."

    The acolyte scrambled away. Van moved to the chair he vacated and quickly looked the girl over. His survival training and years as a knight gave him enough experience to see that the girl was not in critical condition. But he also knew how quickly a fever could turn. He sighed and reached for his satchel.

    He pulled out a small blue vial that glowed faintly. He lifted the girl up slightly and then uncorking it, poured the contents into her mouth. Van couldn''t help feeling a pang of lost. Potions were so expensive and he had just poured a fortune down this child''s throat. Still, he didn''t regret it.

    "Hey! What did you just give my sister?" A voice shouted across the room.

    Van looked up to see Ember''s brother barreling towards him. Behind him his parents chased after him while Priest Beslen followed looking amused.

    Van waited until the boy reached him before answering him. "It was a healing potion."

    "Oh, so you were helping her?" Her brother asked, peering at his sister.

    Van sighed in exasperation but nodded.

    A wide grin spread across the boy''s face. "I knew it. You are a good person. Wait until I tell Ember."

    "I apologize, Knight Vantosia," Ember''s mother said, pulling the boy away. "He''s protective of his sister."

    "It''s fine," Van said, dismissing it. He wasn''t so prideful to get riled up by a little boy.

    "What a good brother," Priest Beslen stated glancing at Ember. He then frowned.

    Van followed his gaze to see Ember tossing and turning in her sleep. It was clear the fever still raged on.

    The boy looked at his sister, frowning. "Shouldn''t she be waking up since you gave her a potion?"

    "It doesn''t quite work like that," Van said but his brow furrowed. The potion should have at least calmed her down but the girl was still sweating and twisting and turning. Van took one of her hands, untying the bandage. The wounds were healed showing the potion was at least working, so there had to be another problem.

    "There''s something wrong," Van said.

    Her father stepped forward. "What is it?"

    The possibility of the girl being poisoned entered his mind but before he could voice his thoughts Priest Beslen stepped in. He reached out to the girl, placing his fingers on her wrist. His gaze grew intense as he looked over Ember before smiling.

    "She''s fine," the priest said almost cheerfully. "She just needs some rest. Her fever should break in a few days."

    Her family relaxed at the priest''s words though Van gave the priest a look. Priest Beslen wasn''t a healer so why was he so sure that Ember was fine.

    "Can we take her home?" Her father asked.

    Priest Beslen nodded. "I don''t see why not. Since Knight Vantosia gave her a healing potion she should be fine to move."

    "Wait," Van said.

    "Thank you, Knight Vantosia," Matron Camila cut in. "We''ll figure out a way to pay you for the potion."

    "Please, don''t worry about that," Knight Van said and quickly excused himself as he noticed Beslen walking away.

    He rushed after the man. "Priest Beslen. What are you doing?" He glanced at the family and moved a little further away, not wanting them to hear.

    "Nothing currently. Though shouldn''t you be accompanying Ember''s family," the priest asked, tilting his head in an exaggeration of confusion.

    Van gritted his teeth. This man. "I will but why are you allowing them to leave. You''re not a healer. She could be poisoned. That would explain why the potion didn''t fully heal her."

    "That could be the reason," Priest Beslen said and then grinned. "But that isn''t."

    "What? How can you be sure?"

    Priest Beslen patted Van''s arm. "You worry too much, Knight Vantosia. I can say with absolute certainty that Maiden Ember will be fine after some much needed rest."

    Van stared at the priest and the man stared back with an amused look on his face. Van was suddenly filled with an urge to punch him but he held himself back.

    "Preist Beslen, can you at least explain why you are so confident?"

    The priest tilted his head, looking thoughtful before a wide smile spread across his lips. "That is a secret. Now you really should be going, Maiden Ember''s family has already left."

    Van whipped around and saw that her family had indeed left without him. Swearing, he turned to the priest.

    "Please send someone with my things." Then Van hurried out of the temple and after the family.

    Van spotted them right away and found himself cursing at what he saw. One of the guards was on the ground, clutching his cheek, while Ember''s father stood over him. Her father was half-carrying his daughter in one arm while his other was slightly raised as ready to throw another punch.

    "What''s going on?" Van asked, hurrying over.

    The guard stood up, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Just a misunderstanding. That''s all. Isn''t that right, Zeris?"

    Ember''s father didn''t say anything. Instead, he gathered Ember in his arms and walked pass the man. Van frowned. He was sure the guard had confronted them on purpose. Was he just harassing the family? Would he have tried to take her if Van hadn''t arrived?

    He turned to face the man to see him grinning at Zeris''s departing back. "Who are you?"

    The man jerked and when he looked at the knight there was a flash of fear in his eyes. "Myron. I''m vice-captain of the guard."

    "I don''t remember seeing you fighting during the monster attack. Shouldn''t a guard protect the townspeople?"

    The man''s face grew sour but he nodded. "Yes, Sir Knight, but Lord Felis had called me away for other duties so I didn''t know about the attack until it was already over."

    "I see," Knight Vantosia said. "So you decided to harass a child who risked her life to do your duty in your place."

    The guard''s face paled. "I didn''t-"

    Van''s hand whipped out, grabbing the man by the collar and lifting him up from the ground, his gaze flashed with light as his eyes glowed. "Before you speak, Myron, let me inform you of my ability. I can see the truth of any word spoken. If you lie to me, I will know."

    Myron''s eyes widened and he clamped his mouth shut.

    Van tossed the man to ground and pointed his mace at him. "Do not come near Ember and her family. Let everyone know that they are now under Knight Vantosia''s protection and by my protection I mean I will have no problem crushing in the head of any that causes them trouble. Do you understand?"

    "Yes, Sir Knight."

    "You may leave."

    The man scrambled to his feet, running away.

    Van sighed. Who knew a small town like Goros would be so troublesome. Van turned and once again hurried to catch up with Ember''s family.

 15 - Soul Weapon

    Ember slept for two days. It was a fitful sleep where she woke up from time to time, just enough to drink some water and have a bit of broth shoved down her throat. On the third day, Ember recovered enough to sit up and though she felt somewhat exhausted the fever had broken. Ember learned that during her time unconscious a funeral had been held for the people that had been killed by the blood leeches.

    On top of that, the guards paired with Knight Garrick had hunted down the other blood leeches in the vicinity. Ember was a little disappointed that she had been asleep all that time but it was her own fault. She had pushed her magic too far. Magic drain was a dangerous thing and Ember hadn''t even realized she was doing it.

    Sure, she knew she was weaker than before but even if she knew that she didn''t feel it. Even now, she could feel her magic wasn''t even close to being exhausted. The problem was that her body only had a limited amount it could contain and she drained it before it could fill back up. It was frustrating. It was like having an ocean at her beck and call but only being allowed a cup at a time.

    The only way to access it fully was to improve her body. She could also build her mind but she still had to wait for her brain to grow to full maturity which wouldn''t happen until her twenties. Her soul she was pretty sure was already at its peak and the reason she had so much access to magic. She was even sure it had grown even larger after her death from her previous life. So that left her body. Getting it healthy and strong would probably give her the access she needed.

    "And then Knight Van slammed his mace into the ground and told Lord Felis to leave. You should have seen his face," Rowan said, laughing. "He ran away like the ice hounds were on his tail."

    Ember turned her attention to her brother who had been telling her stories about the knight. "This happened when Dad was carrying me home?"

    Rowan nodded his head. "Yeah, Mom thinks they searched the house while we were at the temple because things were moved around."

    "Probably," Ember said.

    "He''s an asshole," Rowan said.

    Ember blinked. "Where did you learn that word?"

    "That''s what Knight Van called him. A proper noble asshole."

    Ember stifled a laugh. "You shouldn''t say that. If someone hears you, you can get in trouble."

    "I know. But it''s just you and me here," Rowan said, grinning. "But one day I''m going to be a knight and tell Lord Felis to his face that he''s an asshole."

    Ember reached forward and patted Rowan''s head. "I look forward to it."

    Rowan batted her hand away. "Mom was worried that they might have found your soul weapon." Rowan added. "But I told her you hid it in a really good place. I don''t know if she believed me but you should probably show it to them."

    Ember tilted her head. Her mother knew her weapon was soulbound so there was no way the weapon could be taken from her unless she was dead. Then again, her mother probably had never seen a soul weapon so she might not fully understand.

    "Hey, can you show it to me?" Rowan''s eyes were bright as he asked her.

    "Okay, but tell Mom and Dad to come in here. I want to show it to you all together."

    "Great! I''ll get them now." Rowan raced from the room.

    Ember chuckled and then called up Keeper''s Hold and pulled out Mally. She sat it into her lap, keeping it in its form as a gray ball. She knew her parents would have questions so it would best to take care of it all at once.

    It didn''t take long for her parents to arrive in her room. She knew it wouldn''t since she knew both were here instead of working. Her mother''s gaze was a little worried when she looked at Ember while Rowan was bouncing with excitement. Her father examined her with his gaze and seem satisfied that she wasn''t going to fall into a coma.

    Her parents had been a lot more frazzled when she first awoken but now that several hours had passed with no sign of her slipping back into a fever induced sleep they had calmed down.

    "Knight Van asked if he might join us in seeing your weapon," her father said.

    "Knight Van?" Ember asked. She understood her brother shortening the knight''s name but even her father.

    Her father shrugged. "Vantosia is too long."

    Ember shook her head. It was clear her father liked the knight. Still, she was cautious of him but she supposed it didn''t matter. He knew she had a soul weapon so hiding it from his sight wouldn''t change anything. It would also give her a chance to observe his reaction. She still wasn''t sure if he could be trusted.

    She nodded her head. "He can join us."

    "Are you sure?" her father asked.

    She raised an eyebrow. "Do you think it is a bad idea?"

    Her father looked thoughtful, considering. "I think it''s already too late and if we must trust someone, he is the best choice."

    Ember nodded. "Then, I''m sure."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Her father left and a few seconds later he returned with Knight Vantosia. The knight''s face was still as stone-faced as ever but his eyes gleamed with interest. It looked like even the knight was not immune to curiosity. She raised the gray ball.

    "This is Mally."

    Rowan frowned. "It''s just a clay ball. I thought it would be a cool sword."

    "You''re going to hurt Mally''s feelings." Then with a thought Mally shifted into a short sword.

    Rowan''s eyes widened. "It can change!"

    She nodded and then she had Mally shifted into a war hammer followed by a shield and then back to a ball again.

    "And it remains strong despite its ability to change," Knight Van asked, his eyes bright with curiosity. It was the most emotion she had seen on his face.

    Ember nodded. "Stronger than steel when it wishes."

    "Can I hold it?" Rowan asked, brimming with excitement.

    "You can try," Ember said with a smirk.

    Her brother frowned and went to grab the weapon but when he did his hand passed straight through it. He tried again and once again his hand passed through it.

    "So you''re soulbound to it already," Knight Van said flatly.

    Ember nodded, watching the man closely. The knight looked thoughtful and then seemed to come to a decision.

    "I suggest you hide it and don''t tell anyone you are already soulbound to it. Even those who find out, keep hidden that it can change shape. Even people with their own soulbound weapon might be tempted. Besides, that sort of information would be priceless in battle."

    "She''s not going into battle," her mother said firmly.

    "It might be good for her to be trained to use it if she is already soulbound," her father pointed out, looking at her mother. "You never know when she might need to use it."

    Her mother glared at her father. "She''s twelve. She''s still a child."

    "She''s almost a woman," her father countered.

    Ember could basically see the sparks shooting between her parents and interjected. "Maybe we should hold off on that conversation. We don''t even have anyone that could give me lessons."

    "I''ll do it," Knight Vantosia said, stroking the flames she tried to douse.

    Everyone turned to stare at him. Ember couldn''t believe that he would make such an offer. It was no small thing to have a knight train her.

    "Train me too!" Rowan shouted out. "I want to be a knight."

    Her mother looked embarrassed as she pulled Rowan to her side. "We''ll have to decline. We don''t have the money to pay you."

    "Then she could work it off," the knight said. "There are many chores she could do around the training grounds."

    "Like a squire?" Rowan asked, obviously excited and then turned to Ember. "Are you going to be a knight?"

    "No, I am not," Ember said, smiling. She met Knight Vantosia''s eyes. "I have no desire to be a knight."

    Her mother let out a sigh of relief.

    "You should consider it," Knight Vantosia said. "You have shown you are brave and honorable in the face of danger, plus you have a soul weapon bound to you. If you were a knight, it would afford you some protections."

    The offer wasn''t a bad offer. The problem was that she already had other plans and being a knight under the oppressive royalty wasn''t on the menu. Still, she didn''t want to turn away a possible resource.

    "It''s a lot to take in. Is it okay if I think on it?" She asked, making her voice just a bit timid. It was possible she could offend him with her indecision but fortunately, the knight simply nodded.

    "You can tell me your decision once we reach Hekral." He glanced at Mally but didn''t comment further on the soul weapon. "If you''ll excuse me." Then the knight stepped out of the room, leaving them alone.

    "Are you really not going to be a knight?" Rowan asked, obviously confused about her earlier words. Cause of course who wouldn''t want to be a knight.

    "I plan to be a mage, remember?"

    Her mother nodded. "A regular mage. Hopefully something safe with a good wage."

    "I believe we should let Ember decide," her father added. "There are many options for her though whatever one she decides on she should learn to protect herself."

    Her mother looked thoughtful but eventually she nodded. "I don''t want her to be defenseless I just don''t want her to throw herself in the middle of danger. It''s best to avoid it if she can."

    "I agree," her father said. He looked like he had more to say but decided not to speak further on the subject. It was probably for the best. It was no point in her parents arguing about it.

    Ember decided to change the subject. "Has the day of the Choosing been decided?"

    "It''ll happen in two days," her mother answered. "Did you still want to go?"

    She nodded her head firmly.

    "We figured you would," her mother said with a sigh. "Still, I won''t stop you from going, though...It seemed like Bloom Larisel would awaken you even without the Choosing."

    Ember thought about it. It would make her life easier to not participate in the Choosing but if she didn''t her brother would be chosen and come out a dud. She needed to prevent that from happening. She was sure Rowan hadn''t pulled his name out from the Choosing despite what she had told him. "Yes, but it''s better to have more options."

    Her mother smiled. "Smart girl."

    The whole time the conversation went on Rowan had a pensive look on his face. She could already imagine where his thoughts were.

    "Don''t think so hard, Rowan," Ember said to her little brother. "You''ll have the entire trip to Hekral to convince Knight Vantosia to train you."

    Rowan nodded his head but he looked nervous.

    "I''ll also try to convince him," Ember added.

    Rowan''s eyes brightened at that. "Really? Then we''ll have to make a plan of attack."

    Her parents laughed.

    "We''ll leave you both to your plotting," her mother said.

    Then her parents left them. She was sure her parents were in the midst of making plans of their own. It was no small thing to just pick up and leave their life behind. Still, she was worried about Lord Felis and Welks. Neither man was the type to back off and though Knight Vantosia was a strong blockade she doubted that would be the last of things.

    The gold she gave to Priest Octorin would work as a way to pay off the debt she was sure that the Lord would bring up. It was what he had done in her previous life. Still, she doubted it would end there, not with the soul weapon and her mother about to leave hanging in the balance. She had to prepare for the man''s trickery or if that didn''t work, she would have to kill him.

    "Ember, are you listening to me?" Rowan asked, leaning in until they were almost nose-to-nose.

    Ember jerked back. "What?"

    Rowan pouted at her and then drew out his words. "We need to go over the plan."

    "Oh. Do you already have one in mind?" Ember said, amused. She tucked her hand under her chin.

    Rowan nodded, his expression serious. "Now listen closely."

    Then Rowan began to go into detail about his plan and Ember put thoughts of Lord Felis and Welks away. She would think on it later tonight. For now, her brother had her undivided attention. It wouldn''t hurt to help her brother reach his dreams.

 16 - The Choosing

    The days up until the Choosing had been busy. The warmth and excitement of the Choosing had not been fully dampened by the attack. This was in part due to the traveling merchants that arrived. They had set up stalls around the town square which had spurred a competitiveness among the local merchants. Each one trying to outdo each other with their decorations and goods.

    A festive air began to fill the town and once again colorful cloths and painted stands filled storefronts and houses. Small stalls of trinkets and food popped up around the town square. Visitors began to arrive, staying in the town''s only inn or renting out rooms at the local''s home. The wealthier and more distinguished guests were even invited to stay at Lord Felis''s estate.

    It was easy to forget an attack even happened but then Ember would see a person with a missing leg or an unsettling gap where a person normally stood. The more she looked the more she saw the holes the attack left behind but the townspeople tried all the harder to immerse themselves in the festivities.

    Ember had heard that even more people had signed up for the Choosing after the attack. People who had realized just how powerless they were. Most had made deals with Lord Felis and were set to take him on as their Lord if chosen, promised positions either with the guard or in Lord Felis''s estate.

    She hated how Lord Felis was using the attack to benefit himself but there was nothing she could do about it except hope that the attack wouldn''t change the outcome of the Choosing. She was so close to escaping with her family and she needed to make sure everything moved without a hitch. She felt jittery from the upcoming events. She had everything plan but the biggest hurtle would be Lord Felis who probably had just as many plans to them from leaving.

    "It''s almost time," her father said, glancing at the stage that had been put up in the town center.

    Knight Garrick and Knight Vantosia were walking up the stage with Priest Beslen. Knight Vantosia had stayed with them most of the time in the market but had left midway. His departure had been reluctant since it would be an opportunity for Welks and his group to try to attack her but they had promised to stay in sight of the stage just in case. Fortunately, nothing had happened.

    She glanced at Rowan as his attention was split between the stage and the goose legs that a stall was selling. The savory scent wafted through the air and succulent juices dripped off them. Even Ember''s stomach rumbled. After some thought, she walked over to the stall, fishing out 4 copper tons to pay for 8 goose legs for her whole family. She handed a pair to Rowan.

    Rowan tore into his with glee before bouncing towards the stage. "Come on. We have to get to the front."

    Her mother hurried to catch Rowan before he got lost in the crowd, while her father looked at Ember and then at the goose legs she handed him. He raised an eyebrow and she simply shrugged.

    The usual salary for the loggers were around 5 copper flats a week. One copper ton was equal to 10 copper flats, so she had spent 8 weeks of her father''s salary in one sitting. It was definitely a lot. Honestly, the goose leg was ridiculously expensive but meat usually was for commoners. Her father didn''t question her about where she got the coins but she knew that wouldn''t be the last of it.

    Her parents had been holding back on questioning her. She thought it was a combination of her being sick and having Knight Van always looming close. Though her father seemed to like the knight he wasn''t taking chances with him. Their family was in a precarious situation and their best bet was to wait until they were on the road or settled in Hekral. At that point, she would have to decide just how much she was going to tell them.

    Right now, she had other issues to focus on. A loud shout went up as a carriage drove through the town. People hurried out of the way as the black carriage turned into the crowd, just missing several people. It then drove up through the square until it arrived on the left of the stage. Once parked, a coachman hooped off the carriage and opened the door. Lord Felis stepped out.

    His clothes were high-quality without being gaudy. His golden hair seemed to shine in the sunlight and at the sight of him Ember heard several girls giggle and swoon. Her face twisted up at the sound. She wanted to tell them to not fall for his pretty face. The man was vile. But she held back, her attention turning back to the stage.

    Lord Felis climbed up to the stage with Welks following close behind him. The noble sat down in the chair prepared for him, facing the crowd and to the left of the Choosing delegation. Welks stood behind him in a mimic of the knight''s stance. Ember rolled her eyes at the display, but her attention turned to Lord Felis. His gaze slid over the crowd, searching. His eyes finally found what they were looking for, landing on her mother. There was a glint of what could only be called obsession in his gaze.

    Disgust rose in Ember''s stomach and she found herself moving closer to her mother. Lord Felis''s gaze snapped towards her and his green eyes snapped with rage before turning his attention away. Ember shuddered and squeezed her mother''s arm. Her mother curled her arm around Ember''s waist and gave her a slight squeeze.

    Ember looked up at her mother.

    Her mother smiled at her. "We''ll be fine."

    Ember nodded. They would be. She would make sure of it.

    More people began to gather around the stage as knowledge that the Choosing was about to begin spread. Voices rose in excitement and rivalry. Some people prayed. The noise grew even louder and a cheer went through the air as Priest Octorin ,with two acolytes on either side of him, came forward with a large bowl filled with stones. He sat the bowl in front of the stage.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Knight Van stepped forward. "Has this vote been tampered with to your knowledge?"

    "It has not been tampered with."

    Knight Van''s eyes glowed and he nodded. "True."

    Ember was always curious about this part. To her knowledge, Knight Vantosia was the only knight with the ability to see the truth. In other Choosings, the knight, the priest, and the lord had to verify the truth but it was different with Knight Van and his ability. With such an important knight, why had Knight Van been chosen to come to a small town such as theirs?

    The Priest then picked up a list with names upon it and handed it to the knight. The knight took it, flipped through it and nodded. Then he handed it to Priest Beslen who glanced through the list nodded.

    "I confirm."

    He handed the list back to Knight Van who then took it to Lord Felis. The Lord took his time looking through the list and Ember got the feeling he was dragging it out though she wasn''t sure why. Finally, the man nodded and handed it back to Knight Van.

    "I confirm."

    Knight Van took the list and handed it to Priest Octorin. Once again asking if it had been tampered with. Once it was confirmed, Priest Octorin stood to the side and Knight Van stepped forward, his gaze cut across the crowd and they grew silent.

    "Within the terms of the Treaty of Brotherhood, today the divine Akashic Order and his Majesty Vincent Galari, present a coming together to provide opportunity for the common people, so they might have the opportunity to thrive in the blessing of the Akashic Tree."

    "With such blessing comes power and that power must be tied in order to help strengthen the people, the order, and the kingdom. In order to guide and strengthen, the newly blessed Seedling shall dedicate themselves to the kingdom by uniting with a noble or through the divine by dedication to the Akashic Order. Let none interfere in their choices."

    Knight Van''s gaze scanned over the crowd and then upon the men on the stage before continuing.

    "On this day of Choosing, Lord Andres Felis, Baron of Goros stands for the kingdom. Those who chose that path will dedicate their service to him and he will reward his new Seedling with guidance and strengthening their ability."

    Lord Felis looked upon the crowd, his gaze lingering on certain people. Probably those who he already promised positions to if they picked him.

    "Representing the Divine stands Blessed Priest Beslen. Those who choose the path of the divine will dedicate their service to the Order as acolyte and to follow in their teachings."

    He paused and Priest Beslen smiled warmly at the crowd giving a wave.

    "With this, let the Choosing begin!"

    A roar went up through the crowd. Knight Van stepped aside as Priest Beslen stood. The priest walked over to the bowl and stuck his hand into it. Everyone watched with wide eyes and a deep silence filled the air.

    Priest Beslen pulled out a stone with a number. "Number 42."

    When Ember heard the number, she felt a mixture of relief and anxiety. The same number had been pulled so it should still be her but what if the name has been changed? It was a possibility because there might be people who had been dropped from the list due to death or injuries. She thought about that. It wouldn''t be a bad thing if she didn''t get chosen. It would keep attention off her and as long as she and Rowan didn''t get picked then everything would be fine.

    Her attention returned to the stage as Prist Beslen was given the list and flipped through it. His eyes widened and his lips twisted into a strange smile. He handed the list back to Knight Van who looked at it and frowned. Then the knight gave the list to Lord Felis.

    The Lord looked at the list and a mixture of feelings crossed his face, like he was unable to settle on one feeling. Tension filled the air as Lord Felis continued to stare at the list for much too long.

    "Is there a problem?" Knight Van asked the Lord.

    "I''m not sure," the Lord said before handing the list back to the knight. "Please proceed."

    Knight Van gave the lord a wary look before taking the list and handing it back to Beslen.

    "The Choosing has been decided. Ember of Goros, daughter of Mister Zeris and Matron Camila, please come forth to be blessed."

    The sound of her name echoed across the square. Ember stiffened but she took a step forward and was pulled back by her mother''s grip on her arm. She looked at her and her mother''s face was pale as she looked at the stage. She followed her gaze to see Lord Felis was looking in their direction, grinning.

    Ember ignored the man to look at her mother. "It''ll be okay."

    "I''ll walk her to the stage," her father said.

    Her mother finally let her go and as soon as she did her father took her hand. Ember looked at him in surprise but didn''t question it. She knew it was as much to comfort her as it was to comfort her father.

    "You don''t have to accept," her father whispered to her. "You still have that mage that is interested in you."

    "I know," she said and glanced over at her father. "Don''t worry. I have a plan."

    He looked at her, somewhat doubtfully, before sighing.

    Once she reached the stage her father reluctantly let go of her hand but he didn''t look too happy about it. She was a little surprise at just how much her parents were worried. It hadn''t been like this in her past life. Then again, a lot of things changed. Lord Felis had never gotten the opportunity to promise to clear her mother''s debt if she chose him. With Knight Van guarding her he wouldn''t be able to make such a blatant ultimatum without being considered interfering.

    In the past there was no one to stop him from doing such a thing. She could have gone to the delegation for help but back then she had been intimidated by the noble. Besides, going to the delegation wouldn''t remove her family''s debt.

    What a naive girl I was.

    Once she was on the stage, Priest Beslen smiled at her as she approached. He looked at her curiously and she realized there was something almost expectant in his eyes though she wasn''t sure why.

    "Maiden Ember, do you accept the blessing about to be bestowed upon you?" the priest asked.

    Ember smiled. "I do and I don''t."

    There was a stirring in the crowd at her words.

    In contrast, Priest Beslen looked highly amused. "What do you mean by your words, Maiden Ember?"

    "I would like to give my blessing to another," Ember stated and she looked out onto the crowd until she saw who she was looking for. "I would like to bestow it on Patricia of Goros, daughter of Mister Hans."

 17 - A New Seedling

    A murmur went through the crowd at her announcement. There was some confusion and a few dissenting voices. Others looked around, searching for the mysterious Patricia. Ember purposedly looked away from Patricia at least for now. She didn''t want the crowd to rush the poor girl. Besides, she knew that her announcement wouldn''t be the end of it.

    "How generous," Lord Felis said with a smirk. "But you can''t just give away your blessing. That''s not how this works."

    Ember ignored the noble as her eyes met Priest Beslen. The priest''s eyes were shining with delight and it was clear he had gathered what her plan was.

    "Not necessarily," Priest Beslen said and gave her a wink.

    She felt a wave of relief. She hadn''t been sure if the priest would catch on. She knew not all priests had delved deeply into the Treaty of Brotherhood and Priest Beslen was quite young so he might not be aware of its intricates. She only knew about the loophole due to a situation in a past life when a boy gave up his Blessing to his brother. Something that would repeat itself in a few years. Still, she was lucky Priest Beslen was knowledgeable. Maybe all Blessed priests studied the treaty in the Order. In any case, it made things that much easier.

    The priest turned to face the crowd. "Under the Treaty of Brotherhood giving a blessing to an another during the Choosing is only allowed when nothing is asked for in return and proof that no coercion has been used directly or indirectly. Proving such a thing is almost impossible and so giving a Blessing to another is usually not allowed."

    Priest Beslen''s eyes twinkled. "Luckily for us we have the honorable presence of Knight Vantosia, the knight of truth."

    A new murmur went through the crowd. Ember glanced at Lord Felis. The noble looked annoyed but not too upset. In the long run, it was probably safer for him if she wasn''t a Seedling since it was clear she had the attention of the knights already. Since he hadn''t had the chance to threaten her with her parent''s debt like before, her not taking the Blessing worked in his favor. She looked forward to crushing that thought later for him.

    "Maiden Ember."

    She blinked and quickly turned her attention to Knight Vantosia who she hadn''t realized had stepped forward. She looked at him waiting.

    The knight frowned and then his eyes began to glow.

    "Maiden Ember, daughter of Mister Zeris and Matron Camila. Do you willing give your Blessing to Maiden Patricia, daughter of Mister Hans without coercion and without exchange of goods, money, and material or immaterial benefits?"

    "Yes, I swear it."

    Knight Vantosia''s blue eyes blazed in front of her and she could feel something push against her as if examining her soul. It was different from the times before. She found herself jerking back before the knight abruptly turned.

    "True. You may proceed with the Blessing."

    Ember just stood there. What the hell was that?

    The sound of a commotion went through the crowd, drawing her attention back off stage. She turned to see Patricia being dragged to the stage by Rowan. Rowan had a determined look on his face. Ember couldn''t help watching him. She wondered if he would resent her for giving the Blessing to Patricia instead of him. She was sure he must be wondering why she did this and even if she said he wasn''t ready it wouldn''t take away the bitterness of not giving it to him. She would check on him later. For now, her attention turned to Patricia.

    The girl''s eyes were wide and she was looking around her like someone was playing a trick on her. Ember smiled at her gently before taking her hand and pulling her to the stage.

    Ember leaned closer to her, whispering. "I told you I would make an opportunity for you."

    Patricia looked at her in amazement and Ember grinned before turning to leave the stage only for Patricia to grab her.

    "Please stay with me," she said, her voice shaking.

    Ember blinked and then looked at Priest Beslen.

    "I''ll allow it," the Priest said with a kind smile.

    Patrica looked relieved and Ember got the feeling the girl was near tears so she gave her a hug before gently but firmly pushing her towards Priest Beslen.

    "Are you ready?" Priest Beslen asked Patricia.

    The black-haired girl nodded, her brown eyes still wide as if still coming to terms of what was happening. She turned back to look at Ember, checking if she was still there before turning back to the priest.

    "I-I am," she squeaked out.

    This caused some laughter from the crowd though there were still a few people grumbling, obviously not pleased at just who had been chosen. Ember glared at the crowd. They were no more deserving than Patricia.

    "Maiden Patricia, daughter of Mister Hans, do you accept the Blessing of the Akashic Tree?"

    Patricia closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before looking at the Priest. "Yes...please."

    Ember couldn''t help smiling. She really hoped that the training she gave Patricia as well as her studies before this would help her to at least not turn out a dud. She knew Patricia was aware of the risks but she couldn''t help feeling worried.

    It''s fine. Even if she turns out to be a dud I will help her.

    With that promise in mind, she watched Priest Beslen take Patricia''s hands. For a moment, nothing happened and then a soft golden glow covered the priest. The glow grew brighter around him and with it a familiar sensation. It was like a warm hand touched her shoulder and with it came a feeling of peace and strength. Ember knew the sensation would be even stronger for Patricia.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    A hush settled around the crowd. Those that were close to the stage were probably feeling the warmth of the Blessing while others were entranced at the sight. Most had never seen a Blessing before.

    Finally, the glow stopped and Priest Beslen pulled away but when he did she didn''t expect what she saw. There was awe on his face as he stared at Patricia. Then he bowed to the girl.

    "Sun''s light to you, Oracle of the Akashic Tree."

    Patricia''s face was covered in tears but there was a look of happiness on her face. Her gaze looked faraway like she was watching something no one else could see. Ember didn''t think she even heard Priest Beslen.

    On the other hand, the others did.

    At his words, Priest Octorin and the acolytes on the stage immediately bowed.

    "Sun''s light to you, Oracle," the priest and acolytes said in unison.

    This seemed to finally break Patricia out of her daze. Patricia looked around her with wide eyes before her attention turned to Ember with a pleading gaze. Ember took a step forward and then froze. Lord Felis was looking at Patricia and his gaze was glowing. She was sure he must be using his inspect ability.

    Damn it. If she went to Patricia now he might see she was a Seedling. Still, she didn''t want to abandon her.

    ''Meet me at the temple,'' she mouthed to the girl and then hurried off the stage and into the crowd. She felt a mixture of guilt and relief as she distanced herself from Lord Felis and his skill. That was close. All he had to do was turn his head and he would find out the real reason she had tossed away her Blessing. If he found out he would try to claim her as Lord and since it would be outside the terms of the Choosing it would be even more difficult to slip outside his grasp. Of course, she would still manage it but she could guarantee she would still be able to save her family in the process and more.

    She was so lost in her thoughts and making her way to the temple that it took her a while to realize someone was calling her.

    "Ember, why are you running off?" Her mother called out, hurrying to catch up with her. Her father and brother not far behind.

    Ember gave her parents an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I promised to meet Patricia inside."

    "You should stick with us," her father said. "You still have a target on your back."

    "Zeris!" Her mother gave her father a disgruntle look but there was no steering around it. She did have a target on her back.

    "Sorry. Do you mind if we wait for Patricia at the temple?" She paused.

    Her parents shared a look but nodded. With Knight Van still with the Choosing delegation and them so close to their freedom they all were probably waiting for something to go wrong.

    "I need to go to the toilet," Ember blurted out.

    "What is wrong with these kids?" Her mother rubbed the bridge of her nose. "We''ll come with you."

    Ember and her family headed behind the temple to the sege house. She quickly went inside and had to wait until another person finished their business before she was alone. She quickly called up Finder, knowing she would have to be quick.

    "Finder, where is the inspect ability located in Goros."

    A single dot appeared on the map. Ember let out a sigh of relief. Lord Felis was no longer on the stage which meant she was able to find him. That was the biggest drawback of her ability. If she knew a location of something she wasn''t able to take it with Keeper. She had to find it. It was the only reason she hadn''t taken Lord Felis''s ability when he as on stage.

    Now that she had him on Finder, she could take his ability away. Honestly, she had never tried before and so she wasn''t sure if she could take it away permanently or temporarily. She would have to be careful. If he suddenly lost his ability that might cause problems as well. She glanced back at the dot. It was moving towards the temple.

    Ember dismissed Finder and stepped out of the sege house. Rowan and her parents waited for her. Rowan was suspiciously quiet and refused to look at her. Yeah, she would definitely need to talk with him later.

    Together they returned to the temple standing around awkwardly as they waited for Patricia and Knight Van. They didn''t have to wait long.

    Patricia and a group of priest and acolytes stepped into the temple. The group surrounded Patricia like a group of bodyguards. Ember still wasn''t sure what to make of their reactions. Obviously, an oracle seemed to be incredibly important person but in neither of her past lives had she encounter one or even heard of them.

    Patricia''s entire face brightened when she saw Ember and she rushed over. One acolyte followed behind her but stopped a respectful distance away, giving Patricia her privacy. Patricia stopped a few steps way from Ember and her family. She politely greeted Ember''s parents before her attention turned to Ember.

    Patricia didn''t say anything. The girl sucked on her bottom lip looking anxious.

    Ember smiled encouragingly. "Congratulations on becoming a Seedling."

    The widest smile she had ever seen spread across Patricia''s face. Before she knew it Patricia threw herself at Ember, hugging her tightly. Ember was startled. Patricia had always been to timid to show such affection.

    "Thank you, Ember," Patricia said and her voice was thick with unshed tears. "I''m so happy. I finally have a chance to be more."

    Ember wrapped her arms around Patricia. "You were always more but now you can show it to everyone."

    Patricia pulled back, and her brown eyes were glistening. "I have so much to tell you. The things the Akashic Tree revealed to me and you are right in the middle of it."

    Ember blinked. "What?"

    "Oracle Patricia," Priest Beslen''s voice called out. "I''m sorry to disturb you but it''s time for the meeting."

    Ember looked at the priest. His lighthearted attitude was gone and there was respect and even some nervousness. Beside him stood Lord Felis. She hadn''t even noticed his arrival but the man was smirking. She didn''t like it. She considered taking his inspect ability right then but she worried that he might notice it was her. Having an inspect ability had to mean he had high magic sensitivity. Fortunately, he wasn''t actively using it and she didn''t think he would use it on her unless she gave him a reason. He already used the ability on Patricia back on the stage so he probably wouldn''t need to use it again.

    She really hoped she was right. She calmed herself. Now that she had technically found him, as long as she stayed in the vicinity, she could take his ability whenever she wished.

    "I want Ember to come with me," Patricia said. Her voice was timid but there was also a firmness that hadn''t been there before.

    Ember tried not to groan. Well, this got a bit more dangerous.

    Priest Beslen nodded and then looked at Lord Felis.

    Lord Felis grinned. It was almost feral. "I''ll allow it. In fact, why doesn''t Ember''s family join us?"

    Patricia looked at Ember questioningly. Ember slowly nodded. She didn''t trust Lord Felis. He was definitely up to something. He had to have a reason for suggesting that they all go together but she had to let this play out. Ember looked over at her parents. Their expressions were grim but they nodded in agreement. It was clear that none of them wanted to be separated, not when they were so close to escaping from Lord Felis''s grasp.

    Patricia looked relieved and she kept close to Ember as the group followed the priests to the back rooms of the temple. As they entered the room, Ember realized that Welks hadn''t joined Lord Felis. She suddenly had a bad feeling. It looked like whatever plan Lord Felis had was already in motion.

    I''m ready. I''ll win this.

    With those thoughts in her head, Ember joined Patricia as the meeting began. It was time for Patricia to choose and Ember to fight for her family''s freedom.

 18 - The Best Laid Plans

    Even though they all went to the back together Ember''s family ended up standing outside the door. Ember was the only one allowed in and that was because Patricia insisted. So far this was the third time she found herself in these rooms when the only time she had been there in her past lives was during her Choosing.

    Lord Felis and Priest Beslen took a seat across from Patricia while a knight stood on either side of the pair. In this situation, they represented the King''s authority and were to make sure things remained fair. Ember and Patricia sat across from the pair.

    Knight Vantosia spoke first. "Lord Felis and Priest Beslen will explain what it entails to join them. During this time, you can ask questions and they will answer. You are not required to notify the pair of your skills but may do so as they would be better able to tell you the benefits you may obtain in their service."

    "If any threats are made to the new Seedling by either Lord Felis or Priest Beslen then that person would forfeit their right to have the new Seedling in their service and other arrangements will be made."

    The knight then turned to Ember. "During this, you are not able to say anything unless it is to answer a question directly from the new Seedling. If you do, you will be taken from the room and punishment dealt out depending on the damage."

    Ember nodded. She knew this was in order for her to not influence the choice made by Patricia. She was here to observe and if Patricia wanted her advice, she could give a neutral answer only.

    Knight Van then turned his attention to everyone, looking at each person. "Does everyone understand the rules of this meeting?"

    A chorus of yes went through the group.

    "Then we''ll start with Lord Felis," the knight said.

    Lord Felis gave Patricia a heart-stopping smile that would charm any maiden or at least the ones that didn''t know anything about his true nature. Even now, a blush colored Patricia''s cheek as the noble gave her his full attention.

    "Maiden Patricia, what I offer you is a life of luxury. You will have a monthly stipend of 10 silver flats."

    Patricia''s eyes widened. The thought of a single silver flat was probably more than she ever dreamed of having and Lord Felis was offering her ten.

    The noble''s smile grew wider at Patricia''s reaction. "Of course, it won''t stop there. I will give you a chance to attend one of the magic schools which shouldn''t be a problem with your multiple abilities. And if that isn''t to your liking, I can always provide a private tutor."

    "You know about my abilities?" Patricia squeaked out in surprise.

    He nodded with a hint of a smirk. "Yes. My own ability allows me to see yours."

    Patricia looked thoughtful at that, frowning just the tiniest bit.

    "You will also come to stay at my estate where you will be provided food, a room, and whatever you need. As your abilities grows, you can charge people for using them and whatever you make you will keep minus a percentage that will be given to me." He gave her a soft smile. "With me you will be protected, grow strong, and live a life beyond what was afforded you before. I believe it an easy decision."

    Patricia looked at him then at Ember. Ember didn''t say anything. In the end it was Patricia''s choice and she couldn''t interfere.

    "It is tempting," Patricia said and then she turned to Priest Beslen.

    Priest Beslen gave her a wide smile and shrugged. "Lord Felis''s offer is quite generous. Even I would be tempted." He chuckled but when he met Patricia''s eyes they shone with a hopeful light.

    "What the Akashic Order can offer is a mere stipend of five copper tons a month. There are no luxurious rooms in the temple, our place is simple. When you work, the work will be hard and often times your only payment the knowledge that you have helped a struggling life to live on."

    "What I can promise you is a place to belong, a deeper connection to the divine, and to truly understand your abilities in ways that even the magic school could not teach you." The priest stopped, hesitating before he continued. "And I can offer you a choice of freedom to make your own path, though it will not be easy if you decide to go down that road."

    The priest said no more and Ember found herself a little disappointed. While the priest''s speech was heartfelt it wasn''t exactly one that had much to offer to it besides several concepts that a young girl might not even fully understand.

    Ember glanced at Patricia who was chewing on her bottom lip, looking lost in thought. When she looked at Lord Felis, he had an air of confidence around him as if the decision had already been made and he was just waiting for Patricia to say the word.

    Patricia finally looked up and faced Priest Beslen. "When you said freedom, does that mean I can leave the temple if I want?"

    The priest frowned but nodded. "Yes, you will still be considered an acolyte but you''ll have the freedom to leave but will be required to check in with a temple yearly. There is also mandatory training that can take around 1-3 months depending on the student. "

    Patricia nodded and then looked at Lord Felis expectantly.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "If you are asking if you can travel then certainly. There are many places to go. Of course, you''ll be assigned guards for your protection but that is a necessary safety measure given your abilities."

    Patricia nodded and then turned to Priest Beslen, a determined look on her face. "I will go with the Akashic Order."

    "What?" Lord Felis shouted, jumping to his feet. "What nonsense? They offer you nothing."

    "Enough, Lord Felis," Knight Van said.

    The noble glared at the knight. "Do you think I don''t know you are working with that damn priest? You have tricked this girl into choosing the Order."

    Patricia curled up in a ball and Ember pulled her close, shielding her from Lord Felis''s wrath.

    Knight Van looked at the noble with a stony face, not revealing a hint of emotion. "Knight Garrick, please escort Lord Felis out. The meeting is over."

    The knight grabbed Lord Felis''s arm but the man shook him off. "I''m fine but don''t think I won''t bring this up with the king."

    Then he stepped out of the room with the knight following after him. Only once the door shut did Patricia uncurled.

    "Are you okay?" Ember asked gently, keeping her arm around the girl.

    Patricia nodded and looked at Ember. There was fear in her eyes but to Ember''s surprise there was also excitement.

    "I know I made the right choice," she said proudly, though Ember noticed she was shaking slightly.

    Honestly, Ember had been unsure if Patricia would follow her warning from before. Lord Felis offer was like a dream come true for most commoners. She wondered how she must have felt hearing it. Did she only choose the Akashic Order due to Ember''s warning?

    She was curious but that was a conversation for later. Right now, she had other questions.

    Ember looked at Knight Van. "Now that the meeting is over, am I allowed to talk freely?"

    The knight gave a clip nod.

    Ember turned her attention back to Patricia. "You have multiple abilities?"

    Patricia grinned and nodded. "I was surprised. I know priest''s Blessings are usually only able to unlock one ability but that''s not what happened with me. I have three."

    "Three?" Ember''s eyes widened in surprise.

    Patricia nodded. "Oracle, Blessing, and Healing."

    Ember stared at Patricia, stunned. Oracle she didn''t know much about but that Patricia had both Blessing and Healing... No wonder Lord Felis was after her. Both abilities were rare and widely sought after. Any noble that claimed her would become a powerful force to be reckoned with.

    "That''s amazing," Ember said.

    Patricia smiled brightly.

    "I''m glad you picked the Akashic Order," Priest Beslen said, interjecting in their conversation. "But from your questions earlier I assume you''re not planning to stay at the temple?"

    Patricia looked away guiltily and shook her head. "I want to help people but I can''t stay at the temple."

    "Can I ask why?" Priest Beslen said with a conflicted look. It was clear he was planning to try to counter whatever reason she gave.

    "Because of what I saw during my Blessing. The Akashic Tree showed me something I need to do. Oh! And I have a quest."

    Everyone stared at her.

    "A quest?" Ember asked, confused.

    Patricia nodded. "The Akashic Tree gave me one."

    Ember couldn''t help her surprise. She never heard of the Akashic Tree giving out quests. No one had mentioned such a thing in her old lives. Was it simply that rare or something only given to oracles?

    It looked like there was so much Ember still needed to learn about the Akashic Tree which wasn''t a bad thing. It meant that there might be possibilities to her own abilities that she had never discovered. Giving her Blessing to Patricia might have been the best thing she had done so far in this life.

    "What is your quest? Perhaps the Order could help you," Priest Beslen offered.

    Patricia hesitated and then shook her head. "I can''t talk about it. Not yet."

    The priest looked surprised. Ember could tell he wanted to push Patricia but, in the end, he held himself back and simply nodded.

    "At least let us help you train before you set off on your quest," Priest Beslen said, almost desperately.

    Patricia looked at him confused. "I thought I already had to do mandatory training."

    Priest Beslen nodded. "That is true. But that is just the basics of being a Seedling and what it entails being a traveling acolyte. If you stay longer, we''ll give you training on how to use your abilities and what it means to be an Oracle."

    Patricia didn''t answer right away instead she turned to Ember. "You are going to Heklar, right? Do you know how long you''ll stay there."

    Ember raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. "I''m not sure but...you shouldn''t decide your future based around me."

    Patricia frowned while Priest Beslen looked at Ember gratefully. Ember ignored the man. She wasn''t doing this for him. She just didn''t want to help Patricia gain her freedom only to chain her by her side. Patricia has a world of opportunity in front of her. She would not do what Lord Felis did to her.

    "You''ll need a healer," Patricia insisted. "I can help."

    This girl is sure making it hard to be generous.

    Ember couldn''t deny it. Having her own personal healer sounded perfect and with her future plans having a healer who could also do Blessings? She could make an army of Seedlings. No one would be able to defy her. More importantly, she could give her family a chance to become Seedlings. Of course, they would have to get away from the King to do that since there was regulations on giving out Blessings but she was planning to do that anyway.

    "Let me think about it. In the meantime, I think letting the Order train you is a good idea."

    Patricia didn''t look completely satisfied with her answer but she nodded. "You have to promise to talk with me when you make your decision. You can''t just leave."

    Ember blinked. Why did Patricia think she would do that? Well, it was likely she would do just that if she decided not to keep Patricia around but when did Patricia figure that out about her? Was she just observant or did her Oracle ability show her something?

    "I won''t," Ember said.

    "Promise?" Patricia demanded and her gaze was intense.

    Before Ember could speak a loud commotion sounded outside the door. Multiple voices were raised and one of them she recognized as her mother. Ember shot to her feet. A wave of fear went through her but she shoved it down. She rushed out the room.

    The hall was in chaos. Several of Lord Felis''s guards were there. Two guards held her father''s arm while Knight Garrick stood in front of her mother and brother, facing off against Welks and Myron.

    In the midst of the chaos was Lord Felis with a smug look on his face.

    "What''s going on?" Knight Van demanded.

    It was Welks that stepped forward to speak. "Under the command of Lord Felis, the family of Mister Zeris and his wife, Matron Camila are under arrest for the crime of theft and the assault of a Goros guard."

    Ember''s lips tightened. It looked like Lord Felis was making his move. Now it was time to make her own.

 19 - Awry

    Her mother''s eyes blazed as she sneered at Lord Felis. "Lies! Our family aren''t thieves."

    Ember had to stop herself from cringing at those words. She was very much a thief but she was sure her robbery of Myron wasn''t the issue here.

    "Please explain yourself, Lord Felis. This family has been under my protection and I have no indication of any crime being committed," Knight Van stated, his hand resting on his mace''s pommel.

    "Well, I understand your honor must be threaten by the events, Knight Vantosia," Lord Felis said with relish. "But when it comes to my subjects, I have the final authority. It is not your place to interfere."

    Ember tensed, wondering if the knight would back down. What Lord Felis said was true. While knights were tied directly to the royal family and had their authority, there were certain lines they weren''t allowed to cross. A noble''s lands and people were one of those things. Knight s couldn''t interfere unless under the King''s order or when deemed necessary. If a knight deemed it necessary and was found to have abused their authority they could be stripped of their station and other punishments doled out depending on the damage they caused.

    "You are right that usually I would not have the authority to interfere but Mister Zeris and his family have been accepted as part of the returning delegation and by the King''s order it is my duty to protect that delegation."

    Ember''s eyebrow arched but she felt relief. What Knight Van stated was a bit of a stretch, liking using a loophole but she was more than happy he decided to use it. She glanced at Lord Felis and his expression was annoyed but it smoothed out as he faced Knight Van.

    "Then I suppose that also makes you responsible if they commit a crime as well," Lord Felis said with a sly smile. "Then I shall indulge you. It had come to my attention that one of my guards has been robbed. It seemed to have happened during the monster attack."

    Ember stiffened. Did this really have to do with Myron? Had there been some sort of tracker on the box she wasn''t aware of? Still, it shouldn''t have led to her family. The only time she opened it was at the temple and there were so many people there it would be impossible to point out her family. Dread swirled in her stomach. Had she made a mistake?

    "I decided to do a search of the town and the perfect opportunity presented itself during the Choosing," Lord Felis continued. "To help prevent too many problems, I had the guards search the house when most people were away and that''s when we found it. A small pouch of silver hidden within the floorboards of their home."

    The noble pointed at each member of her family and there was a look of triumphant on his face.

    Her mother''s face paled. "That''s impossible."

    From the corner of her eye, she noticed Rowan looking at her but she ignored him and silently hoped he wouldn''t draw attention to them.

    "You say you found it there but how do we know it was the stolen money?" Knight Van questioned.

    "As a man from a noble family, I can understand why you would ask such a question. The life of a commoner is unknown to you. It would be nearly impossible for a mere logger to have such a large amount of money. On top of that, we found an engagement ring stuffed inside, the very one Myron had obtained as he prepared for his proposal to Maiden Alaria." Lord Felis shook his head, his voice dripping with fake sympathy. "Such a heinous crime. To steal the man''s engagement ring. Though, It is fortunate that they did since it helped to prove the crime."

    Ember felt a mixture of anger and amusement. What a production Lord Felis had set up but it was time to interrupt this farce. "My family didn''t steal anything and I can prove it."

    At her words, Lord Felis glared at her before turning away. "Nonsense of a child. We have all the evidence for the arrest. I suggest you not interfere, Knight Vantosia."

    "Knight Vantosia," Ember continued persistently. "You''re the Knight of truth. You can simply ask us. You''ll be able to tell if we are lying."

    "Agreed," Knight Van said and looked coldly at the noble. "I''m sure you won''t object."

    Lord Felis shrugged. "Of course."

    Ember blinked. Anxiety curled in her stomach. She didn''t expect Lord Felis to give in so easily. Then again, he knew of Lord Van''s ability so he had to have known that they would use his ability to prove their innocence. Then why was he so relaxed? What was she missing?

    One-by-one Knight Van went to them and asked them if they had stolen the money and of course the each were shown as innocent. That left her. Of course, she had been the one to steal Myron''s money but the key was in the technicalities.

    "I didn''t steal that pouch Lord Felis found or that damn ring," Ember said defiantly.

    "True," Lord Van said before turning back to Lord Felis. "They''re innocent."

    "How strange," Lord Felis said, rubbing his chin. Then he gave a long sigh. "It looks like things will have to be investigated. I will have to insist that at least Mister Zeris stays. While he might be innocent, he did assault a guard. It is possible that there is some mischief going on that only a clear investigation would clear up. I''m sure you agree, Knight Vantosia."

    Silence covered the room.

    It dawned on Ember about what was really going on. He was taking her father as a hostage and as soon as the delegation left then Knight Van would no longer be in his way to continue with his trumped-up charges. It would be the perfect opportunity for the noble to get rid of her father for good.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    On top of that, since Lord Felis was stating it as part of an investigation it would be strange for Knight Van to keep insisting. It would come across as personal interference instead of a necessary requirement.

    Ember glanced at Knight Van and saw his lips tightened into a thin line. She could tell he must have come to the same conclusion. He could have questioned the guards but using his abilities on the guards would be crossing a line that would likely get his knighthood stripped. While the nobles were under the royals, they each had their personal guard units. Unless there was a very clear reason, it would cause an uproar to use an ability on a noble''s guard.

    Anger and desperation washed through Ember. They had fallen into Lord Felis''s trap despite everything. She couldn''t let him take her father. It would be better if she stayed behind. At least she could fight back.

    "I stole it. I should be taken in his place," Ember stated. "I''ll stay behind."

    "Ember!" Her mother shouted, her eyes wide.

    "I''m telling the truth. Please, let my father go," Ember begged, turning to Lord Felis. She hated begging him but her pride wasn''t as important as her father''s life.

    "No," her father said, his voice cutting through the room. His silent form hung between the two guards, but his eyes steady and strong. "I will stay. Ember you will go with your mother and the delegation."

    Ember stared at her father, shaking her head. His face was resigned. She balled up her fist. No, this couldn''t happen. She promised to save him. She wouldn''t leave him to a possible death sentence.

    "About that," Lord Felis said, and she could practically see the glee shining in his eyes. "I''ll have to insist that Matron Camila and her daughter stay behind. She has a debt she owes me and I can''t allow her to leave without paying it."

    "You''re a monster," her mother said. "You''ll do anything to keep us here."

    "How unfair," Lord Felis said, stepping towards her mother but he was blocked by Knight Garrick. "Didn''t I provide a healer for your daughter? Didn''t you agree to the price?"

    Her mother''s lips tightened and she said nothing.

    "The price? What is it?" Ember asked, her voice trembling.

    Lord Felis threw an irritated look at her before sighing. "20 silver flats. It should be a lot more but I was being generous for an old friend''s sake."

    This was good. Since he said it in front of everyone, he wouldn''t be able to change it to something more ridiculous.

    Her mother looked away, her hands balling up at her side.

    "I am not so bad, Mila," the Lord said, his voice growing gentle. "I will even let your daughter leave with the delegation. Even her brother can go, but you''ll have to stay. I''m sure Knight Vantosia would watch over them."

    The knight looked over at them and then nodded. "I will."

    "You can''t!" Rowan burst out. "Mom, don''t do it!" His gaze went to his dad and then he turned to Knight Van. "Please help us. Help my Dad and my Mom."

    Ember balled up her fist and then she twisted around and ran. Behind her she could her parents shout her name but she ignored them. Her heart was thumping in her chest. She had been a fool. How had she let her father get into that situation? She had been too cocky. She didn''t have the power and strength to throw her weight around like before. She even missed the obvious possibility that one of the guards might have planted something in the house.

    She wouldn''t let it end there. She would make a plan to save her father but right now, she had to save her mother. She reached the temple center and looked frantically around her. Her vision was watery and she had to wipe at her eyes.

    Calm down.

    She looked around again and then she saw him. Priest Octorin. She rushed over to him and tugged at his arm. "Priest Octorin, please help me."

    He looked at Ember in surprise. "Maiden Ember. What''s wrong?"

    "My teacher said she left a pouch with you?"

    He blinked and then nodded. "But I''m not supposed to give it to you until you leave for the delegation."

    "We can''t leave without it. My mother owes Lord Felis and he won''t let us leave if we don''t pay our debt."

    The priest looked thoughtful. "I suppose it would only make sense to give it to you...or perhaps your mother."

    Ember nodded her head quickly. "Give it to my mother. She is in the back rooms with Lord Felis. Please hurry."

    "Wait here."

    Ember watched as the priest hurried away. It felt like forever but he returned in a matter of minutes. Together they headed to the back rooms. Ember made sure to stay behind the priest. She had to make sure that the money appeared to come from him and her teacher. It would be bad if they became suspicious that she really was the one who stole Myron''s box instead of that pouch they planted.

    Once they reached the room, Priest Octorin froze and looked at the room in surprise, taking in the guards.

    "Priest," Ember said softly.

    The priest woke from his shock and then pulled out the pouch, shoving it towards her mother. Her mother distressed face turned to confusion.

    "A mage asked me to give this to you. Well to Ember before the delegation left but it seems you might need it now."

    Her mother opened the pouch and gasped. Her fingers tightened on the pouch and she hurriedly grabbed a silver bril. She walked passed Knight Garrick and shoved the silver bril toward Lord Felis.

    "It''s paid," she said in triumphant.

    Lord Felis let the coin fall to the ground as he grabbed her mother''s arm. "Mila, are you trying to run? Will you abandon your husband?"

    Knight Garrick stepped forward. "Let go of her."

    Lord Felis ignored him, pulling her mother closer.

    Her mother''s eyes flashed as she met the noble''s gaze. "I would never abandon Zeris."

    Lord Felis''s lips twisted and his eyes flashed with a mixture of pain and anger. "Good." Then he let her go.

    She quickly backed away. Her attention turned to her father and there was anguish and guilt on her face.

    Her father smiled at her. "Stay safe."

    "I''m sorry, Zeris," her mother said and tears began to spill from her eyes.

    Her father shook his head. "Don''t apologize, love."

    "Take him away," Lord Felis said, disgust dripping from his voice.

    Ember took a step forward but a hand clamped on her shoulder, keeping her in place. She looked up and was surprise to see Priest Beslen behind her. She hadn''t even noticed him there. She frowned at him and then turned to watch her father being taken away.

    Helpless. Why was she always helpless when she got involved with Lord Felis. It didn''t matter what life she lived. In her prisoner life she been chained as his Seedling, beaten and used. In her tyrant life, she killed him only to be hunted down as a fugitive until she was strong enough to fight back. Could nothing be changed now? It was like a curse.

    She rubbed at her right eye. If she was cursed then it didn''t matter what she did next. She promised to save her family and she intended to do just that. She would do whatever it took. She would keep her promise and to hell with anyone who stood in her way.

 20 - Favors

    They didn''t go home. The three of them stayed at the temple. It went unsaid that it would be safer. The delegation would leave in the morning, something Priest Beslen decided since tensions were high between everyone and Lord Felis. She also figured they suspected that the noble might try something else to get them to stay. So, she wasn''t surprised when her mother and Knight Van went into a room with an acolyte to speak in private.

    Throughout it all, Patricia stayed by her side, her hand clinging to her arm. Rowan, on the other hand, kept to Knight Garrick''s side while keeping an eye on the door to the room her mother went inside. Ember tried talking to Rowan but he glared at her before ignoring her. There had been an accusation in his eyes that seemed to stab right into her soul. She didn''t bother him after that though she kept an eye on him. She wanted to make sure he didn''t run off and do something stupid. It was best that he left that to her.

    Ember was already making plans. There were a lot of holes in them and some she didn''t think she could fill before they left tomorrow. It was frustrating. She knew she could do better but it was like her brain didn''t fully work. She wasn''t sure if it was due to her brain not being fully mature or the wave of emotions that seemed to surge through her that she barely could control.

    She knew she could be hot-headed. A trait she got from her mother. But she always thought she was good at planning things. Either she had misjudged herself or being in a child''s body was limiting her. Though there was a third option, that something had changed when she regressed to the past. She really hoped it wasn''t the third option but she couldn''t dismiss the possibility completely.

    "I''ll need a horse," she muttered to herself. It would be better if she could use haste but the last time she checked Keeper, she still didn''t meet the requirements. It was frustrating.

    Patricia stirred beside her. The girl had fallen asleep against her as Ember sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. The priest had prepared a room for Patricia but she had insisted on staying with Ember.

    One of the backrooms had been cleared out and straw beds set up for her and her family but they hadn''t gone to the rooms yet. Rowan looked determined to stay nearby where Mom had gone and since Rowan stayed, so did Ember. After what happened to father, she didn''t blame him for wanting to be near Mom.

    She sighed. Her plan was...okay, but there were so many gaps. She rubbed her forehead, wishing she could get her brain to work a little better.

    "Maiden Ember," a voice said gently to her.

    She looked up to see Priest Beslen. He gave her a soft smile. "Can we talk for a moment?" He gestured to one of the empty backrooms. "Privately."

    Ember frowned but she gave a cautious nod. Carefully, she pried herself from the sleeping Patricia and as she did an acolyte went to the girl and carefully lifted her from the ground. He gave Priest Beslen a nod and then walked away with her.

    "Take her to her room," Priest Beslen explained.

    Ember watched him go, feeling a little strange about letting Patricia be taken away but she knew the girl was safer with the acolytes. The priest of the Akashic Order weren''t as weak as some may think.

    She glanced back at her brother before turning to Priest Beslen. "Can someone keep an eye on my brother. I don''t want him to wander off."

    The priest nodded and called over another acolyte who moved closer to her brother, but not close enough to interrupt Rowan''s conversation with Knight Garrick. Knowing that someone was keeping an eye on Rowan, Ember turned to follow Priest Beslen down the hall to an empty backroom. As she did, she could feel someone watching her. She turned around to see Rowan looking at her but he looked away when she caught his eye.

    She sighed. She would have to figure things out with him but that would come later. For now, she wondered what exactly Priest Beslen wanted to talk with her about.

    Once they were inside the room, the priest sat in front of her looking at her curiously. "Well, Maiden Ember, you are a very interesting child. I have to say you certainly have been keeping things interesting. Though I must insist on an explanation."

    "Explanation?" Ember asked, confused.

    "Yes." Priest Beslen steepled his fingers and tucked them under his chin as he looked at her. "You have a high level curse in your right eye, you have a soul weapon bound to you from the Hungry Lands, and a mage has given you enough money to get your family out of debt and let you live a normal life in Heklar if you choose. I hope you don''t expect me to accept all these things as mere happenchance."

    "What if they are?" Ember asked cautiously.

    "Hmm," Priest Beslen said, and then he leaned forward. "Then are you also going to tell me you just happen to awaken as a Seedling?"

    Ember felt ice go through her veins. How did he know? Did he have the inspect skill? No, that can''t be it because she would have seen it on Finder when she asked it to find the ability. It could be the Blessing ability though it required physical contact. Did he use it on her when he touched her shoulder before? It was possible but she didn''t think she gave him a reason to. She frowned, though what he listed- the soul weapon, the mage teacher, the curse. All of those provided lots of suspicions.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "Don''t look so worried," Priest Beslen said. "I kept your secret this long."

    "How long have you known?" Ember asked quietly as her mind raced. She could kill the priest but then the entire temple would be after her. If she knocked him out and took her family and ran then that could work. She could hide them in the woods and then loop around to get her father.

    "I''ve known since that day you passed out from magic drain," Priest Beslen said with a happy smile.

    Ember stared at him stunned. "You knew that long. Even during the Choosing?"

    Priest Beslen grinned in answer.

    "Then why did you let me go through with the Choosing?" Ember was confused.

    "I would have stopped you if you had tried to go through with it," Priest Beslen said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "A person could only be awakened once. It would have been a waste of a Blessing."

    Ember''s brow scrunched up. "You didn''t answer my question. You basically allowed me to manipulate the Choosing."

    Priest Beslen looked thoughtful. "I suppose I did."

    Ember scowled. "What do you want?"

    The priest smiled brightly. "How wonderful! I appreciate you offering to repay my generosity. I suppose I wouldn''t be able to convince you to turn down Oracle Patricia''s request to stay with you."

    Ember crossed her arms. "No. I won''t manipulate Patricia."

    Priest Beslen narrowed his eyes. "And this has nothing to do with having a healer at your beck and call."

    "I won''t deny that would be beneficial but if Patricia told me she wanted to stay at the temple I wouldn''t try to stop her as long as it was what she wished."

    "Hmm." The priest drummed his finger against the table. "Then I will ask you for three favors."

    "Three?" Ember said, scrunching up her nose. "One favor is more than enough."

    "Three," the priest insisted. "One for allowing you to manipulate the Choosing, one for refusing the favor I really wanted, and the third for keeping your awakening a secret."

    "My manipulating the Choosing got you an Oracle," Ember pointed out. "Don''t think I didn''t realize just how important that seems to be to the Akashic Order."

    "True," Priest Beslen said, rubbing his chin. "Then two favors and you''ll have to answer some questions I have."

    "Agreed, but there are certain things I can''t talk about."

    Priest Beslen nodded. "Who is the mage that has claimed you as her student?"

    "Her name is Bloom Larisel but I doubt that''s her real name." She added that last part in case the Priest tried to look her up.

    Priest Beslen frowned. "Is she unregistered?"

    "I don''t know," Ember said.

    "That could be problematic," Priest Beslen said. "Are you planning to register?"

    Ember hesitated. "I haven''t decided."

    "Is it because of your teacher?" Priest Beslen said, his frown deepening.

    "No," Ember said. "It''s because I would have to explain how I was awakened."

    "How were you awakened?" he asked.

    "A priest awakened me," Ember said.

    Priest Beslen''s eyes widened. "Are you sure a priest did it?"

    "Yes," Ember said firmly.

    "Who was the priest?"

    I''m looking at him, Ember silently thought.

    "I can''t say."

    It looked like the mention of a priest awakening her agitated the man. She knew if they had priest going around blessing people illegally the Akashic Order would have a real problem on their hands. That did bring up something curious.

    "Why are you allowing Patricia to leave." Ember asked, "She has the Blessing ability. I thought those with that ability weren''t allowed to be traveling acolytes."

    "That''s usually the case but Patricia is an Oracle," Priest Beslen.

    "Which means what exactly?" Ember pushed.

    "It means she can travel," Priest Beslen said simply. "Did the mage curse you?"

    "No," Ember said, huffing. She was growing more and more curious about the whole Oracle business. "I really don''t know how I was cursed."

    "Then how can you be sure the mage didn''t do it," Priest Beslen pointed out.

    "I know it for a fact. My teacher and I have a bond that proves it. I can''t explain further than that." Ember crossed her arms. She wasn''t sure if the priest would believe her but she didn''t really feel it was necessary to convince him. Though, if he believed her, it would make things a bit easier.

    "Did your soul weapon really come from the Hungry Lands?" Priest Beslen asked.

    "Didn''t Knight Van already confirmed that I spoke the truth?" Ember asked, slightly annoyed.

    "Then how did you get it? Did you teacher give it to you?"

    Ember leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Did you see what my ability is?"

    Priest Beslen''s eyebrow rose. "Yes, Finder''s Keepers. I have never seen such an ability before. The ability to find and keep things. I didn''t think it would let you find something like a soul weapon."

    Ember peered at the man. It didn''t seem like he knew about the levels her ability had, just the general name and description. She knew inspect could go deeper into the levels of an ability. It was what made it so hard to deal with Lord Felis in her prisoner life. He always knew what she was capable of doing. Of course, back then she hadn''t unlocked the ability to collect powers.

    "But if it''s from the Hungry Lands but you found it on Lord Felis''s land-"

    "I didn''t find it on Lord Felis''s land," Ember cut in. "Knight Van confirmed it as well."

    "But you said-"

    "I said I used my ability. I did. That''s all I can say on the subject, but I didn''t find this on Lord Felis''s lands."

    Priest Beslen leaned back in his chair and stared at her. "You really are filled with secrets."

    "They''re my secrets and I prefer if you didn''t pry into them," Ember said boldly.

    The priest looked amused and made a noncommittal sound. Ember wondered if she would really have to kill him. At least she could wait a bit. Since the priest hadn''t told anyone about her manipulation of the Choosing, she expected he would keep her secret, at least in the short-term or until she completed his favors. By then she would have already moved out of the kingdom''s grasp or registered with the help of a sponsor she chose as a cover.

    "What are these favors that you want?" Ember asked.

    Priest Beslen smiled. "I''m not sure yet but I''ll inform you when I''m ready."

    Ember didn''t like that. "If you ask me for something ridiculous, I will refuse."

    "Anything I ask you will be within your power. I promise that," Priest Beslen said, standing up and leading her to the door.

    "That doesn''t make me feel better."

    Priest Beslen only smiled.

 21 - Those Left Behind

    Ember was nervous after her talk with Priest Beslen but there was no indication that the priest was going to reveal her secret. In the end, after a simple dinner, she and her family huddled together in the backroom they were assigned. The night was quiet and there was this steady gap that hung in the air. No one spoke about it but Rowan and her found themselves huddled against their mother.

    It was a cold night.

    The next day, her mother went with Knight Van to collect a few things to take with them. She asked them if there was anything they needed her to pack besides their clothes. Honestly, Ember figured they would buy new clothes once they reached Heklar anyway so she wasn''t attached but she did ask for her comb. Her mother got teary eyed when she asked for it but she quickly wiped at her eyes before turning to Rowan.

    Ember walked away, letting Rowan and her mother talk. She spotted Patricia who was huddled in a corner. Not far from her was an acolyte keeping watch. It looked like there would always be one near Patricia. It just made her even more curious why an Oracle was so important.

    Ember walked over to the girl and plopped on the ground next to her. "You okay?" she asked.

    Patricia nodded and then slumped down further.

    Ember looked away. "You could have gone with the acolytes or had them bring him here."

    "No," Patricia said, her voice tight. "It''s better if I don''t see him."

    "Are you having second thoughts?" Ember asked, looking back at the girl.

    "I don''t want to stay here, especially not with him. I just..." Patricia gulped in air as if struggling to swallow down her emotions. "He''s my father."

    Tears began to spill down Patricia''s cheek as she wept making soft sniffling sounds. Ember put her arm around the girl''s shoulder. She didn''t quite understand Patricia''s feeling. Her father treated her like crap, beat her, alienated her from the community. What was there to miss? But here the girl was weeping for the man. She really was too kind.

    "I''m sorry," Patricia said. "I''m like this and you..."

    Ember stiffened and then pulled her arm away from Patricia. "I''m fine."

    Ember stood up but before she could take another step, Patricia grabbed at her skirt.

    "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have...Are you angry?" Patricia looked up at her with big watery eyes.

    Ember smiled softly at her but it felt stiff on her face. "I''m not angry with you."

    I''m angry at myself. I''m angry at Lord Felis. I''m angry that I''m too weak to do more.

    But she would change that. She had a plan, not a very good plan, but it was a start.

    It took another three hours to get everything loaded for the road. Lord Felis and his guards came to see the delegation off though there was no sign of her father. She caught Rowan scanning the crowd before looking away. His face twisted up in anger. He moved closer to their mother, holding her hand.

    Her mother, on the other hand, pretended that Lord Felis didn''t exist. That was until the man stepped in front of her.

    "Don''t take too long coming back, Mila."

    Her mother glared at him but didn''t say a word. Lord Felis looked pleased to get any reaction out of her at all.

    A wave of hatred burned in Ember''s chest and she felt herself struggling to control it. She just had to be patient. Just a little patience and she''ll resolve everything.

    They were finally ready to go. She saw Patricia looking out at the gathered crowd. Her gaze searching but whatever she was looking for she couldn''t find. Then she was being led into the carriage with Priest Beslen. The knights and two acolytes rode on horses. Ember and her family climbed into the first wagon as well as two other acolytes. Behind them was another wagon filled with their luggage and the items the delegation brought with them.

    Then they were off. The ride out of town was quiet. It wasn''t until they were a couple hours away that her mother spoke.

    "Isn''t it dangerous to ride with only two knights? There could be bandits."

    The acolytes looked between each other before one spoke. "The knights are very strong and we will help if needed."

    Her mother gave the acolytes a doubtful look.

    "They''re trained in unarmed combat," Ember said. "They''re strong fighters."

    "Unarmed combat? Will that be enough?" Her mother looked outside, looking nervously at the woods they passed.

    "There is a reason the temples aren''t attacked," Ember stated. "No one is as strong as the Akashic Order when it comes to unarmed combat."

    "How do you know that?" One of the acolytes asked.

    "Is it a secret?" Ember shot back.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The acolyte shook his head. "But it isn''t common knowledge."

    Ember shrugged. The acolyte didn''t press her on the subject and she pretended not to notice him looking at her. Eventually he turned away.

    One person didn''t turn away though. Her brother stared at her with a mix of curiosity and anger. She tried to ignore it but he kept staring at her. She finally looked at him and he immediately turned away from her.

    What the hell, Rowan?

    "If you have something to say, then say it," she said to Rowan. She was getting tired of his looks.

    Rowan glared at her. "You don''t want to hear what I have to say."

    "I probably don''t, but you keep staring at me like you want to set me on fire."

    "That''s enough you two," her mother cut in.

    Rowan turned away, a scowl on his face.

    Silence hung over the wagon.

    "I didn''t steal the pouch," Ember said firmly. "Lord Felis put it there in order to trap us. That''s the truth."

    "I know that, Ember," her mother said gently, squeezing her hand.

    "What about the box?" Rowan said, challengingly.

    "Lord Felis would have planted that pouch regardless."

    "You can''t be sure of that," Rowan shot back, clutching at the side of the wagon. "Dad would still be here if it wasn''t for you."

    "That''s enough," her mother shouted. "Your father was taken by Lord Felis. It is no one''s fault but his."

    Rowan scoffed and turned away. "Whatever."

    Her mother looked at Rowan with a worried expression before turning her gaze to Ember. "It''s not your fault, Ember."

    Ember nodded, looking out at the forest they passed.

    She didn''t say much after that.

    Mid-afternoon they stopped for an hour to have lunch and let the horses rest. Since there was no big rush, it looked like the delegation would take its time going to Heklar. The knights would most likely not be staying in Heklar since their post was with the royal family which stayed in the capital - Merclen.

    She studied the horses. There would be guards at night. More than likely the knights would take turns sleeping so she would have to get pass them. She though she could manage with stealth and an illusion but she wasn''t sure about all the abilities the knights had, especially Knight Garrick. And with how low her skills were there was no guarantee that they wouldn''t notice. Everything was tricky. She would need a distraction in order to leave the camp safely.

    By the time they packed up, Ember had an idea of how to sneak out, so when they went to sleep that night, Ember was ready. She waited for Knight Van to sleep first. She wasn''t sure if his truth ability meant he could see through illusions and she didn''t want to chance getting caught.

    So ,she pretended to sleep until it was Knight Garrick''s turn to stand guard. He and two of the acolytes kept watch. Ember waited, and from her spot in the wagon she made the illusion appear. A large wolf walked out of the tree line. It stared at the group. Garrick let out a call to the acolytes and as he did another two wolves stepped out of the forest. They were eerily silent, which made sense since Ember couldn''t make sound illusions with her current ability.

    "One of you stay with the horses," Knight Garrick ordered

    One of the acolytes went to check on the horses while the other two kept their eyes on the wolves. She felt relieved to see they hadn''t awakened the camp. It was probably because for the knight this was a minor threat. While they faced off against the wolves, Ember slid out from her bed. Immediately, she used her stealth ability to slip out of the wagon. She cast another illusion, this time of herself sleeping. Right away she felt a strain on her magic but she ignored it.

    She began walking to where the acolyte was with the horses. With the illusions of wolves, the horses making noises would be expected. And since they sent the acolyte to stay with the horses, the other two would focus their attention on the wolves with the expectation anything that happened near the horses would be dealt with by the acolyte or at least he would raise an alarm.

    Keeping her breath steady, Ember used her sleep ability. It was the first time she had used it since she returned to the past so she wasn''t sure how it lowers stats would affect it. The acolyte yawned and rubbed at his eyes. Damn it. It wasn''t working. She would have to get closer. She cast an illusion on herself of a young boy with worn clothes and then she crept closer.

    Once again, she pushed out the sleep ability. She noticed the acolyte''s eyes blinking tiredly. She gritted her teeth. It looked like she would need a bolder tactic. She swiftly lurched forward to touch the acolyte. Even with her stealth, the acolyte sensed her and grabbed her before she could touch him. His hand''s grip was strong enough to crush her wrist.

    "What..." But whatever the acolyte was about to say was interrupted as he abruptly fell asleep.

    Ember grabbed him before he hit the ground, stifling a groan at his weight. Even with her Seedling strength, holding up a muscular fully grown man wasn''t easy. She pulled him to the side and sat him down. She glanced to the pair facing off against the wolves. Knight Garrick had moved closer to the wolves. The closer he got the more likely he would notice how strange the wolves were.

    She had the wolves step back, baring their teeth. Quickly as she could, Ember untied one of the horses, focusing on one the horses that an acolyte had rode. The horse was docile but she put an illusion of a carrot in front of the horse''s mouth and held it back, leading it away and into the woods.

    Every time she kept glancing back at Knight Garrick. Once she reached the tree line, she had her wolf illusions turn and abruptly take off into the woods. Ember didn''t wait around after that she climbed on the horse with a little push from wind and rode through the woods at a cautious pace. She knew she was probably leaving a trail behind but she couldn''t do much about that. Once she thought she was far enough away, she guided the horse back onto the road.

    Digging her heels into the horse''s flanks, she pushed it into a gallop. She grinned as she held on tightly to the horse''s mane. She did it. It was only the first step in her plan but now she was on her way to saving her father. She also was able to try out her sleep ability. Now she knew she would need to touch a person for sleep to work at her current level. It was an annoying drawback but she figured it was still doable.

    She rode as fast as she could safely do in the dark road. The wagons moved slower than a single person riding a horse at a gallop, so she knew it would take only a few hours to get to Lord Felis''s manor. She was sure she could get there and back to the camp by early morning if she wanted. Though whether that was the best idea, she wasn''t sure. She might find a safe place for her and her father to hide out and then after things had calmed down meet up with mom and Rowan.

    A whistling sound cut through the air and Ember found herself flying off the horse, landing on the ground. She managed to roll and stop herself from breaking her neck or falling under the hooves of the horse. Pain pierced her shoulder and she looked down to see an arrow protruding from it.

    Bandits?

    "Well, well, well. It looks like Lady Fortune is on my side today."

    The voice sent a shiver through Ember.

    From the woods a familiar figured stepped out and walked over to her with a bow and arrow in his hands and a short sword at his waist.

    Welks grinned at her. "Now, little girl, why don''t you tell me where you hid my soul weapon?"

 22 - Water, Water, Everywhere

    Ember''s mind sped with questions. Why was Welks here? For the soul weapon. Did that mean the man followed her all the way here? He had to have either been on his way to the camp or had been watching and waiting for an opportunity. The second option was more likely. Ember watched as the man walked closer.

    From her past life she knew that Welks was a Seedling with at least two abilities. He never went to school for training but his life as a mercenary had given him the training of experience. He wouldn''t be an easy target and with his two abilities- altered strength and rejuvenation...or was it regeneration? She hoped it wasn''t the last one. That would be a pain. She was already at a distinct disadvantage but she had one thing going for her.

    As soon as the man stepped closer and his hand went towards her, she raised her hand up. For him it probably looked like she was trying to helplessly fend him off but Ember was raising her hand in position, so that it was directed at his face. Then she shot a ball of flame straight into his face.

    A cry of surprise sprang from Welks''s mouth, Ember jumped back just as the man grabbed for her. She knew if he managed to catch her that it would be almost impossible to get away from him. She needed to keep her distance which is why she hadn''t risk using sleep.

    Despite her disadvantages, this was an opportunity.

    Welks turned to her and pulled out his sword. The burns on his face were already healing. Damn it, so it was regeneration.

    "So the brat''s a Seedling. I knew you weren''t ordinary. How does an ordinary girl get a hold of a soul weapon? The answer is she ain''t ordinary."

    "You''re right," Ember said and then turned and ran. As she did, she put up a thin swirl of wind tightly around her body. She did it just in time. As soon as she hit the tree line an arrow flew towards her leg. The wind around her body knocked it off course. She would have been caught in no time if she couldn''t run.

    As soon as she was deeper in the woods, she put on stealth and weaved through the trees. This time she was careful, hiding her trail. She let a breeze slid through the trees, listening for movement. It was more difficult outside where animals and plants moved. Still, she faintly heard Welks enter the trees and then nothing. Her wind skill wouldn''t be enough to hear him from this point out so she cancelled it. She wasn''t sure how good Welks''s magic sensitivity was but she didn''t want to lead him to her at least not right now.

    Ember looked around searching for a good hiding spot. She noticed a small bush, the perfect size for a frighten girl to hide in. She hurried to it opening it up just slightly but she didn''t crawl into it. Instead, she pulled the opening closed. It would look like someone had entered it. Then she called up an illusion of herself, crouched underneath the bush. Satisfied, Ember moved to a tree a little to the side of the bush which would give her a good view of Welks. It wasn''t the best hiding spot but the trail she left going to the bush should be enough of a distraction.

    She debated on whether to keep stealth on. It would hide her but if Welks''s had a high magic sensitivity at her currently stealth level it would be a beacon instead of hiding her. So, she decided to turn it off. Instead, she called for Mally and had the gray ball wrap around her wrist like a thick bracelet.

    And it was a good thing she did because Welks came into view not long after. From the way he had moved so unerringly it was clear he was following her magic trail. She felt a bit relieved she had turned it off in time otherwise it would have ruined her plan.

    She watched as he moved towards where her illusion was hiding. Ember held her breath and waited for him to get into her line of shot. Welks lurched forward, grabbing at the illusions and that''s when Ember acted. A ball of water shot forward, right towards his face.

    In a flash, Welks sword was in his hand and he cut through the water, splitting it in half. His gaze pinned her to the ground as he grinned. "You think I would fall for that trick again?"

    Ember backed up.

    "You should have stuck with fire. At least that would''ve done some damage."

    Welks leapt forward with a speed and reach superior to her own. Ember dropped to the ground and rolled and as she did, she sunk the earth under Welks, throwing him off-balance. Welks stumbled but recovered quickly.

    Welks growled. "Just how many-" But before he could finish his sentence water surged into his mouth. Welks grasped at his throat, coughing.

    Ember rolled to her feet and shot another ball of water at him.

    Even choking, Welk''s reflexes were good. He raised his sword, cutting through the ball of water The spilt water didn''t disperse but instead twisted into thin streams and then slithered up his nose.

    Welks''s eyes grew wide as he tried to spit the water out but Ember shot more water balls at him. Adding more to the water pouring into his mouth and nose. Welks wildly swung his sword as he lurched towards her. The sword smashed into the tree trunk, demolishing it. If just one strike hit her, she knew she would be done.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Ember just kept backing up, shooting more balls of water. Welks gave up striking at the balls of water, covering his mouth and nose. He rushed towards her like a bull and she ran to the side. Welks changed his trajectory at the last minute, stabbing at her. Ember raised her wrist just in time to block and shifted Mally into a small buckler.

    The sword slammed into the buckler, not penetrating but it was too much for Ember. She found herself flying, thrown through the air by the force. She quickly reinforced her water magic before she slammed into a tree with a loud crash. Pain lashed up her back at the impact and she slid to the ground. Her brain felt like it shook and for a second, she lost control of her magic, but before it could fall apart, she held on tightly, with the desperation of her life being in the balance.

    She had to look. She had to see what Welks was doing. Her head felt heavy as she dragged it up to look at the man. Welks was on the ground, crawling towards her. The water was still choking him.

    Why isn''t he dead yet?

    Probably his regeneration helped him to hold on longer than normal but regeneration couldn''t stop a person from drowning just prolonged their lives a little. Ember pulled the water she had been holding and then she sent it forward, surrounding his head in a bubble of water.

    Welks clawed at the water sphere, ripping chunks of it only for the water to reform. She watched him tear at it over and over as he tried to drag his body towards her. He moved closer and closer, his movement growing slower and weaker. Until finally he didn''t move at all. Even then, Ember didn''t release the water sphere.

    She didn''t know how much time passed but she finally got up. Mally shifted in her hand, turning into a spear. She moved towards Welks, making sure to keep out of reach and then she stabbed him in the back of his neck with the spear.

    She watched carefully, seeing if the hole healed but nothing happened. She dropped the spell and as soon as she did a wave of exhaustion went through her. She rocked on her feet as she could feel magic drain climb over her or was it the concussion she likely had from Welks throwing her against the tree?

    Still, she forced herself to move. This time she changed the spear into a sword then she swung down at the man''s neck.

    It took her five swings to decapitate the man.

    She grabbed Welk''s head and tossed it away from the body. It was always better to do that when it came to people with regeneration. She heard stories of the more powerful ones being able to even heal themselves as long as they were close enough to the missing body part.

    Ember wanted to rest. Honestly, she was surprised she hadn''t passed out from magic drain but it was probably due to her magic expanding after the last time her magic was drained. While magic drain was horrible, it was good for helping to expand a magic pool though it still required you to have the magic to fill it. Luckily, due to the largeness of her soul, Ember had plenty of magic to fill her magic pool.

    She went to Welks''s body, searching his pockets. She cried for joy when she saw a refill potion. She took it and quickly drank it down and she could feel the magic drain ease. Unfortunately, there was no health potion which wasn''t too surprising. Most regeneration types didn''t bother since a refill potion would boost their magic so they could heal faster. Regeneration worked better than any healing potion.

    Except for when you were drowning.

    Ember searched his body to see if there was anything useful but she didn''t find anything. There might be something on his horse but she would have to search for it.

    "Finder." The map appeared in front of her. "Find the horse Welks rode on near my location."

    A dot appeared and Ember began following it. The horse ended up being further down the road tied to a tree. It bucked a little as she got closer but she managed to calm it down. She stopped to check the bags on it. Her face drained as she saw a small tool kit made up of knives, pliers, and a small hammer. Next to it was a satchel with health potions. It didn''t take a genius to realize Welks had planned to torture her.

    The urge to go back to his body and stab it a few more time was almost too hard to resist. Instead, she took a drink of the health potion and as she did, she felt her brain clear up. She almost drank another one but instead she tied the satchel with the health potion to her waist. Another quick search found her another refill potion and she added it to the satchel and then she was climbing on the man''s horse.

    She decided to leave the acolyte''s horse behind. Hopefully, it would mislead anyone who came after her. With that, she rode off. There was still a lot she had to do before the night was over.

    Her ride down the road was slower than before. While her body healed from the potion she had to be careful. It wasn''t until she a little over halfway to Goros that she felt her body had recovered enough to handle a rough ride. So, she sped up, riding faster than even before.

    Soon she was almost at Goros. Instead of riding through the town, she turned on the road that went directly to the manor. Making sure no one was around, she quickly put on an illusion. She was now the rugged form of Welks, Captain of the Goros guard. This wouldn''t help much if she was expected to talk. Her illusion ability was only strong enough for visual illusions. She would be glad to get it stronger but for now it worked.

    She took a moment to consider her other abilities. Her elemental abilities were actually incredibly useful even as they were now. The only thing holding them back is that since they were growth abilities, she would have to practice them but since she already knew how to use them they would likely grow faster with only the size of her magic pool holding her back. Then again it wasn''t the size that was the issue as much as how much she could hold within her. Which brought it back to strengthening her body. Once her body was stronger, she would be able to keep more magic within her.

    It was a drawback but one she could work with. While her elemental powers weren''t strong right now, she could make up for it with skill. She knew how to use her abilities well and her magic control was still as good as before. It was what gave her the ability to use wind to capture sound and to use water to drown Welks. It was why the number of abilities tended to be as important as power. One powerful ability could be conquered by a person who had two weaker abilities that they were more skilled with. For now, that was what she would focus on, developing her skills further while she strengthened her body.

    With such thoughts in mind, she reached the manor. It was time to see how far she could push her skills.

 23 - Jail Break

    There was a secret entrance inside the manor but it was heavily guarded. On top of that, there was a magic scanner held there to check people. It was mostly used for people with stealth since illusion skills were pretty rare. The front entrance was also guarded but not magically guarded. This was due to appearances.

    Lord Felis was a poor noble trying to recover his family''s wealthy. While he had made some definite headway it was not enough to have high levels of magic security. For him to have it would draw suspicion, so it was kept to the hidden entrance and select rooms in the manor. On top of that, Lord Felis''s Inspect ability was its own security. But she already had a plan for that, before arriving at the manor she pulled up Finder and asked for the locations of her father and Lord Felis. So, she was ready to find both.

    Ember felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness. When she thought about the best way to enter the manor, she decided that there was only one option. She planned to walk straight through the front gate.

    Ember guided the horse through the gates of Felis Manor. With a practiced ease, she used the hand signal of the guards. Right away, she was let in. As soon as she passed the gate, two guards stepped forward with polearms though they kept them at their side.

    "I thought you wouldn''t be back until the morning, Captain Welks," One of the guards asked. His voice was casual but there was a hint of wariness.

    Ember tapped her throat and mouthed. ''Hit with a potion. Can''t talk. Need an antidote.''

    She had to repeat herself multiple times and do a little charade before the guards got it.

    The guards looked surprised. "You were hit with a potion?"

    She nodded with an annoyed sigh and then gave a toothy grin and tapped the shield across her back. She was pretty sure the guards must''ve heard about the soul weapon. Right now, people would know it was a shield and that it changed shape but since she hadn''t shown people anything but the shield part then it was likely that was all they knew.

    Ember slid off her horse and held out the buckler and then she had Mally turn into a tower shield and then a kite shield before returning it back into a buckler. She needed to make them think that all Mally could turn into were shields.

    One of the guard''s eyes went wide while the other whistled.

    "You got the soul weapon. Well losing your voice is a small price for getting your hands on that." There was a hint of envy in the guard''s voice.

    Ember looked at him sharply. She gave him a smile that was all teeth.

    The guard backed up and his gaze darted to the manor as if he wanted to flee. "The steward has already left for the night but Ronnie should be able to get you something."

    Ember glared at the guard and then gave him a jovial smile, slapping the man on the back using her full strength. The man stumbled a little and laughed nervously.

    With a nod, she left her horse with one of the guards and continued to the manor. Stepping inside, she didn''t get very far before the butler appeared next to her. Once again, she mouthed her fake story about it and the butler called for Ronnie but she waved him away and began making her way in the direction she knew Ronnie would be.

    Honestly, she wanted to head straight to the dungeon but she needed to keep up appearances. So, she stood outside the small alchemy lab and slammed her fist on the door. The two guards outside the door didn''t flinch, used to Welks coming there. There was the sound of shuffling feet and then a boy opened the door.

    "Welks!" he said in surprise. "You''re already back?"

    She nodded and stepped inside.

    The boy was around 13 years old and his power in the manor was on par with Lord Felis. It wasn''t because he was a Seedling, but because he was a genius alchemist that was lent to Lord Felis by his sponsor. If anything happened to the boy, Lord Felis would have hell to pay.

    Ember considered killing him. It would be the easiest way to get revenge on Lord Felis. His sponsor would turn his back on him and likely kill him.

    "You okay, Welks?"

    Ember shook her head and patted to her throat. ''Need an antidote. Hit with a mute spell.''

    The boy looked confused and then brightened. "Oh! I see. Let me just. He turned and began going through his bottle."

    With his back turn, Ember moved beside him and casually put her hand on his shoulder. "Sleep."

    The boy''s head whipped around in surprise and then he crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Ember grabbed the boy and dragged him behind some crates so he would be hidden from sight. She then hurried and grabbed several refill and health potions, shoving them into her satchel. She looked at the boxes and then went to one, pulling it open. The box had the usual refill and health potion but there was a strange green potion and an orange potion that looked like lava. She grabbed one of each and put it in the satchel.

    Ember had no idea what the potions did so she wouldn''t be drinking them but she knew they would come in handy later. Those potions were important she knew because they were part of the smuggling ring that Lord Felis was part of. Unfortunately, these were potions she hadn''t encountered. Later on, Ronnie made a potion that was double a person power and it they focused on selling it almost exclusively. It had a lot of side-effects but Ronnie had worked himself nearly to death trying to perfect it. At that time, Ronnie was moved to a different location and she never saw him again.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    She never knew much about the kid since he had been in his lab all the time. He didn''t seem like a prisoner but to outsiders maybe she hadn''t either. She glanced at the boy but shook her head. She couldn''t afford to get distracted. Besides, whoever his sponsor was, was the same one who was supporting Lord Felis. A powerful noble who she had never managed to find the name of. All she knew was that if she took the golden child, it would be even worse than the hunt that went after her when she killed Lord Felis in her tyrant life.

    With that in mind, Ember turned away and made her way out of the room, being careful to close the door behind her. Outside the two guards didn''t give her a second glance. Welks really did have a lot of authority here that not even Ronnie''s guards seemed wary. Or perhaps it was just that Welks came here often. She knew he often had potions on him and it wasn''t hard to know where he got them from.

    Before she took a step, one of the guards cleared his throat and pointedly looked at her satchel. A wave of panic went through her. Did they want the potions? They had to have known he took some but he always had potions. There had to be...Then it dawned on her.

    She opened the satchel and pulled out several coins. Then she patted the man''s shoulder before handing the coins over to him and the other guard. With that she stepped away and the guards didn''t stop her this time.

    Relief flooded Ember as she walked away. That had been close. Eventually people were going to notice how strange she was acting. What she needed to do was to get to her father fast. She fished out a refill potion and drank it. She felt a rush as magic filled her once more, toping her off. The next part was going to be tricky.

    Ember then hurried down to the dungeons. The dungeons were guarded with two guards in the front and two that walked the length of it. More guards were added depending on the number of prisoners and their importance.

    She stepped forward and as soon as she did the man came forward.

    "Welks, you here to give Lord Felis favorite your special treatment?" The guard said with a chuckle.

    The other guard shook his head. "Lord Felis already had a go at him. I didn''t think he would send someone else."

    Ember kept walking forward as they talked until she was standing between them. Then her hand snaked out, grabbing both. "Sleep."

    The men tried to jerk away but before they could manage, they were sagging to the ground. Ember grabbed Mally and the soul weapon shifted to a sword. Disgust and anger coiled in her stomach. She could kill them right now. She wanted to kill them.

    No. I can''t.

    It wasn''t mercy but cautiousness. With Welks she didn''t have a choice though she could admit that she would have killed him a hundred times over if given the chance. No, the reason she couldn''t kill them was because her father would be tied to the murders if she did. they would think he escaped and killed them in the process. He would be labeled a murderer and she couldn''t have that happen. So as much as she wanted to end their pathetic lives, she held back.

    Instead, she fished into the man''s pocket and pulled out a key. Instead of using it in the lock, she instead she grabbed one of the guards, dragging him to the stone wall. She looked over the stone until she found the stone she wanted then she pressed the key and the man''s hand against the wall.

    The door to the dungeons opened. Ember smiled. It was one of the tricks of Lord Felis''s dungeon. Using the key in the lock would only set off an alarm. The true key to opening was a magic stone hidden in the wall. The man could be clever, something she had underestimated when it truly counted.

    She pushed such thoughts away. Right now, she was fixing her mistake. She would think about the rest later. One-by-one, she pulled the guards into the stairway before shutting the door behind her. People would notice the guards were gone but it should buy her a bit of time compared if people found them slumped on the ground.

    Taking another refill potion, Ember took a deep breath and then hurried down the stairs. She looked around, quickly locating the guards. There were two but they were a distance away from each other. She would have to get them closer so she could knock them out at the same time.

    "Welks!" One of the guards said, looking surprise. "Lord Felis didn''t mention you would be coming down here."

    Ember simply shrugged and walked forward with a confident stride.

    The guard frowned at the response and then looked at his sword. "What''s that for?"

    Ember still didn''t speak but just kept moving forward. The guard immediately went for his sword. "Welks, I said what''s the sword for? Why are you down here?"

    This got the other guard''s attention and he hurried down to join the other. "What''s going on?"

    "I don''t know. Welks is acting strange," the other guard said with his sword raised.

    Ember dropped her sword and raised her hands.

    The guards looked confused but stepped forward, their swords still raised. "What''s gotten into you, Welks?"

    She simple smiled and lowered her hand or that''s what it looked like she was doing. Then a ball of flame streaked to the pair. One of the guards jumped to the side, avoiding the flame while the other was hit, letting out a loud scream. Ember scooped up her sword and ran forward.

    Her sword slashed up, blocking a strike from the guard who had dodged. Ember twisted and kicked at the man''s knee he backed up and it gave her enough room, to grab the guard hit with her flame. She pulled him forward and shoved him into the other man while using sleep on him. The uninjured guard stumbled back, trying not to stab his companion but instead found himself thrown off balance.

    Ember shot forward, but the guard swung. She blocked his strike and then pushed forward, using his broken stance to get close. It was enough room to close the gap and touch the guard. It only took a moment, and then the guard was unconscious.

    Ember looked at the pair before going to the burned guard and putting out the flames before they could kill him. She then fished out a health potion and poured it on the man. With that she moved around the cells until she found him.

    "Have you come to kill me, Welks?" her father asked with a dark chuckle. "He couldn''t wait to get rid of me."

    Her father was on his knees, his hands shackled behind his back. His face was covered in bruises and there were slashes in his flesh as if he had been whipped. It had only been one day! Ember''s entire body shook and she forced herself to calm down and fish out the key. This time the lock was just a lock. She twisted the key and stepped in.

    Her father lifted his head glaring at her. "If you expect me to beg then you''ll be disappointed."

    "I''m sorry," Ember said.

    Confusions, crossed her father''s face.

    "I was too confident and I let this happen to you."

    Her father''s face twisted into disbelief. "Ember?"

    Ember stepped further into the cell and dropped her illusion. "Dad. It''s me. I-I''m a Seedling."

 24 - Rage

    Her father stared at her as if he was trying to decide if this was a trick and then he nodded his head. "I see."

    Ember''s face twisted up in disbelief. "I see. That''s all you have to say."

    "I have more but this isn''t the place. Ember, you shouldn''t be here?" He frowned. "Where are your mother and brother? They didn''t come with you, did they?"

    She shook her head. "They''re safe, with the knights." She hurried over to her father, realizing that they really needed to move before the missing guards were discovered. She pulled him to his feet but realized she couldn''t. A closer glanced showed her father''s legs were shackled to the ground. It explained why he was kneeling.

    She turned. "I need to find the key."

    "Ember, wait."

    Ember ignored her father and rushed to the unconscious guards, searching for another key. It took her a minute but she found it. She hurried back to the cell and moved to her father''s wrists, unshackling them.

    "Ember, you can''t. It''s too dangerous," her father said.

    "It''s fine, Dad. I have multiple abilities, one of them allows me to make illusions. I can have us look like a pair of guards and we can walk straight out of here. We might have to hide out for a while but after everything calms down, we can meet back up with Mom and Rowan."

    "Ember, stop," her father said, grabbing her wrist and preventing her from unlocking the shackles on his leg.

    "I can''t," Ember said, pulling her arm away from her father''s grip. "We don''t have time."

    "I know. You have to leave," her father said.

    "That''s what I''m trying to do," Ember said frustrated and tears sprang from the corner of her eyes. "Why do you keep stopping me?"

    "I can''t come with you."

    Ember jerked as if she had been slapped and then she shook her head. "I''m not leaving you here."

    "If I leave, Lord Felis will come after your mother and we''ll be marked as criminals that attempted to escape punishment."

    Ember balled up her fist. "Then I''ll save her, too."

    "Do you think it''ll be that easy? The security will be even stronger after my escape." He shook his head. "You''ll have to leave. Watch over your mother and brother."

    "No," Ember said and stomped her foot. "I''m not leaving you here. You''ll die."

    "I won''t," her father said, capturing her hands. "He''ll keep me as a bargaining chip so he can pull in your mother."

    "You thought Welks was going to kill you," Ember pointed out.

    "That''s because he was acting strangely or you were acting strangely as Welks," her father said.

    Ember knelt in front of her father. She tried blinking away the tears but they kept coming back. "Please, Dad, you have to come with me. They''re hurting you and they''ll keep hurting you until eventually...you''ll die."

    Her father reached out his hand, cupping her cheek. "It''ll be alright, my little mouse. Grow, get strong, protect our family."

    Tears streamed down Ember''s face. She hated that stupid nickname. Her father hadn''t called her that in years. Hearing him say it now, she hated it even more as her heart broke.

    "Promise me that you won''t die," Ember said firmly.

    "Ember..."

    "Promise me or I won''t go. We''ll both stay here."

    Her father smiled sadly. "I promise."

    For a moment neither spoke then her father nodded to the shackle. "You''ll have to cuff my hands and lock the cell. They mustn''t know the attack had anything to do with me."

    Ember nodded and picked up the shackle. She felt like she had to throw up just looking at it. Stiffly she rose to her feet and shackled her father once more. In that moment she hated him almost as much as she loved him, but more than that she hated herself. She let this happen. She was still letting it happen. She stood there, looking down at him. Then abruptly she put the illusion back on herself and marched out the cell door.

    "I''ll come back for you when I''m stronger so survive until then." She slammed the cell door, locking it and then put the key back into the guard''s pocket.

    "I love you, little mouse."

    Ember throat felt tight. She tried to speak but she couldn''t so she ran. She didn''t look back.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    She rushed up the dungeon stairs and she could feel a pain in her chest that felt like it would swallow her. Why was nothing working? Should she should have forced him to come? She might have been able to overpower him as a Seedling...or at least knock him out and dragged him out of this place.

    All of this was her fault. If she had been smarter, less cocky, if she had taken more risk instead of trying to play it safe... Her thoughts stirred in herself, building a fire that grew with rage. Rage at herself for her stupidity. Rage at her father for deciding to play the martyr to save his family. Rage at Welks for hunting her down. Rage at Lord Felis for his stupid obsession and his willingness to destroy her family for his own filthy desires.

    Ember called up Finder. "Find the person with the inspect ability."

    The dot appeared on the map and she recognized it as the man''s bed chambers. She dismissed the map and she began to strode through the manor with a new purpose. As she strode through the manor, people moved out of her way. Fearful looks were thrown her way but she barely noticed as she reached the man''s bedchamber.

    Outside of it were two guards. A quick glance showed no other guards but she knew there were probable a few on patrol.

    "Welks, what are-"

    Ember surged forward, grabbing the guards''s arms and using her sleep ability. The guards jerked but it only took a moment and then they were unconscious. She let them go. She glanced to the side and then dragged them one-by-one to a guest room. Once she had them inside, she chugged a refill potion. Then she stepped back into the hall and moved to Lord Felis''s door. She stepped inside and as she did her illusion shifted into one of a hooded form casted in a moving shadow.

    As soon as she entered the room, Lord Felis jerked up from his bed, but Ember was already calling on her ability.

    Finder''s Keeper.

    She felt a tug and a stream of yellow light spilled from the noble. She tugged. It was a stubborn tug, like the ability was desperately trying to cling to Lord Felis. It was a sign that she probably didn''t meet the requirements to keep the ability permanently but a firmer yank detached the ability from the noble. It slid into one of her ability slots, locked within her. She could feel the turbulence of the power. It would stay with her for maybe a day or two.

    The noble paled. "You...what did you do?"

    A hateful grin curled her lips.

    "Guards!" The noble shouted as he rolled out of bed. When he came to his feet a rapier was clutched in his hand.

    Ember stared at it for only a moment. "Soul torture."

    Lord Felis''s face twisted up and he started to scream. He immediately fell to ground. She could feel his soul in her hand and she twisted it. The noble''s screams grew louder. She was sure someone would be coming soon but she didn''t care. Instead, she reveled in the anguish, an anguish that matched her own.

    Inside her, something twisted, like a stain spilling over her soul. She remembered the feeling, the physical taint of her soul just from using soul torture. But it was a price she was willing to pay. She moved closer to the man, watching him writhe in pain on the ground. His eyes rolled up in head as his hands tore at his flesh as if trying his soul from his body.

    Ember stared at him and then turned to the rapier on the floor. She picked it up and then she stabbed it into his hand. First the left and then the right. Then she stabbed him again and again, up his arms and his legs. She considered killing him but she thought of her tyrant life. She had killed him then and in return her family was hunted down until there was no one left.

    It was possible no one would know but they had found out before. She never found out how she was discovered but she couldn''t chance it. She gritted her teeth and leaned down, whispering in his ear.

    "This is only a fraction of what you deserve," she hissed. Outside she could hear people rushing to the door. She ignored it and then she ripped part of his soul.

    Lord Felis screamed a scream that echoed through the room. One of such torturous anguish that it would send a shiver through anyone that heard it. Then the man passed out, just as the door was thrown open and several guards filed in with weapons drawn.

    Ember whipped around and used soul torture on the lot of them. With sharp cries they fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Coldly, Ember watched them and then carefully picked her way pass them. She headed further down the hall, transforming her appearance into a maid. She hunched over scared as she scurried away as more guards filed up the stairs. Once she reached the bottom, she turned the corner, changing her appearance once again, this time appearing as Ronnie.

    Several guards rushed down the stairs.

    "Did you see a maid pass here?"

    She looked at the guards with wide eyes and pointed down the hall. The guards rushed pass her and she moved through the manor getting closer to the door. As she moved out, her appearance changed yet again, this time as a stable boy as she made her way to the stables. Inside, she released the horses from the stable and then she rose her hand and sent a fire into each of the stalls. The dry hay making it easy.

    She then put stealth on and waited.

    A cry went up on the manor and people began rushing forward. She snuck through the chaos. Then she created an illusion of a cloaked man running from the stables. Shouts came from the guards and as they ran after him, Ember made her way to the gate. She snuck out, leaving a wave of destruction behind her.

    Ember moved quickly across the grounds. her illusion would disappear soon and eventually they would do a search. She needed to find a place to hide before then. She cursed herself from not getting a horse but she knew it would have been impossible to sneak out of the manor on horseback. She was lucky she could get out before they closed down the gates.

    Ember took another step and she felt her body shake. Magic drain. With a shaky hand she grabbed a refill potion from her bag, chugging it down. She could feel her magic refilling but her stomach lurched with her every step and a pain seemed to burn through her body.

    Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to keep moving, her gaze searching from any place she could hide. But the pain grew stronger as well as the queasiness and there was something else. It felt like something was slithering through her body. She had a feeling she knew what it was. She would need someone to do a cleansing but that involved getting to a temple or at least joining back up with the delegation.

    She laughed. What was she doing? She didn''t have a horse or even haste? The likelihood of making it to the delegation before getting caught was nearly impossible. Still, she kept moving. She just had to get to the woods and she could hide, the problem was that the trees weren''t as close as she imagined now that she was walking towards them. The manor had purposedly cut the trees back from the manor in case of attacks.

    It looked like their strategy worked.

    Still, Ember kept moving. Closer and closer until a piercing pain shot through her eyes. She screamed and dropped to the ground, clutching her eye. Had she been shot, but there was no arrow protruding from her eye.

    The pain came again, stronger than the last and this time it reached into her tainted soul. She screamed until her throat was raw but the pain didn''t stop. Wave after waved hit her until she couldn''t take it anymore.

    Halfway to the tree line, Ember passed out.

 25 - Prisoner

    Lord Felis stared at Ember with distaste from his seat on his settee. A wave of panic and anger spread through her. They found her. Did they know she was the one who attacked Lord Felis? She had his Inspect ability so he might not know she was a Seedling and she had disguised herself when she attacked him. There was still a chance even if it was a faint one.

    Ember knew she was grasping at straws but there were no shackles on her wrist so it was a possibility.

    "Finder''s Keepers," Lord Felis said with a sneer. "Only one ability and such a pitiful one at that."

    He had his ability back? If it returned that meant she had been unconscious for days. If she was caught then she would just have to fight back. The thought of being on the run again twisted in her stomach but she would make it work. Since she was already caught there was no point in holding back. She would kill Lord Felis and take her father. She would hide him before going to collect Rowan and her mother.

    With her decision made, she called up Mally and...nothing. Nothing. Mally didn''t come. She tried using Soul torture but again nothing happened. She took a step forward or at least attempted to but her body didn''t move. She opened her mouth to shout but again nothing.

    Lord Felis sighed. "Well what was I expecting from someone like you. The Choosing is wasted on your sort."

    The panic rushing through Ember turned into confusion. What was going on? He was talking like she went through the Choosing. Technically she did but that was in her...

    "Call up your ability."

    Ember''s body nodded outside her control and then her lips moved. "Finder."

    A glowing gold Map appeared.

    Lord Felis gestured for her to come closer and she moved. The Lord looked at the map with slight interest and nodded his head. He gestured to the steward.

    "Find the limits of her ability and send me a report. She is not to eat or sleep until she has shown herself to be useful."

    With that, she was dismissed and shuffled out the room behind the steward.

    Ember didn''t say anything. It wouldn''t have mattered anyway. All this had happened already.

    ----

    Ember stood in a workshop, searching for different things the steward ordered. When she was too slow, a guard would hit her. When she failed to find something on the map, she was hit again. If she looked angry or paused for a breath, she was hit over and over.

    Even if she reliving a memory, each strike was just as painful as it had been in the past. She struggled to take over her body but everything played out just like in the past. Every flinch, every look, every timid word that spilled from her mouth. Back then, she was simply a twelve-year-old girl in an impossible situation with a cruel man.

    Back then, while she had memories of her past life they were jumbled and like looking at a movie that starred her in a role she didn''t remember having. It wasn''t until much later that her mind had opened up and she truly remember and reconnected to her life on earth. By then, it had come much too late to be useful.

    Still, why was she here now? What was happening outside her body. She had fainted in the grass while trying to escape the manor which had been truly a clusterfuck of enormous proportions. She didn''t save her father and she let her temper get the best of her only to torture the Lord and leave him alive in the process.

    She moved to rub her head and then grunted in frustration when she couldn''t. Why was she trapped here? Was it some sort of torture that she was undergoing? But no one knew about her past lives so it didn''t make sense. Her mind whirled with questions but there was no answer.

    Then suddenly Keeper floated in front of her. The floating book opened up and she saw the familiar page.

    ---

    <u>Finder''s Keeper</u>

    The ability to find what you seek and keep what you find.

    Status: Akashic Gifted, Permanent

    <u>Unlocked</u>

    1 - Find inanimate objects

    ---

    A fist slammed into her face and she fell to the ground. "Wait! I-I can only find inanimate objects. It says it right here," her old self said, pointing desperately at the floating book.

    The steward looked at where she pointed and then sighed. "Stop play games, girl. I don''t wish to waste all my time on you."

    "It true," she insisted.

    "Hit her again," the steward said with a bored voice.

    Ember remembered this. They had beat her until she could hardly walk and the whole time she insisted she was telling the truth. Eventually, the steward decided to bring her to Lord Felis. The Lord had used his Inspect ability on her and it indeed showed that her ability stated only inanimate objects could be found. That night she was finally allowed food and a bed to sleep in. She barely ate two bits of bread before she collapsed.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    As in the past, the same thing played out. Ember couldn''t help being disgusted with her past self. She had been so timid and helpless. She should''ve never told the steward she could find inanimate objects but back then she had just wanted the constant beatings to stop.

    She mentally frowned. She was being too harsh. Back then, she had truly been just a twelve-year-old girl. One who had been sheltered by her parents and with no education beyond learning to cook and do chores.

    It wasn''t like now where she could remember everything and had the same maturity as before. She paused. Or did she have the same maturity. Her emotions had seemed more vivid than before. Sure, she had a temper but she usually had the emotional intelligence to bid her time but she did the complete opposite and went after her father.

    The smarter thing would have been to get to Hekral and see if she could get help. Sure, she was a commoner but she had information that someone might have found useful about the Lord. After all, she knew about his smuggling ring. Yes, he had a powerful patron but she could''ve worked with Knight Van and found someone trustworthy to report it to while in the meantime preparing a safehouse for her family then get her father. On top of that, the Felis Family was not in good standing with the king so she could have gotten them involved. It would''ve also work as a good distraction while she put her family in hiding.

    So why didn''t she do that? Was it guilt or had it been her pride at failing? A misguided attempt to fix a mistake that she only made worse. First, she had been too cautious and then she was too reckless. She was sure being in a twelve-year-old body affected her but was that the only reason? No. It was her. She let her pride and temper rule her. And in return she had made mistake after mistake.

    Ember felt sick at the realization. She knew the hormones and brain development would still cloud her judgement but her main problem would be taking control of her temper and pride. Even with two lives under her belt, three if she counted her earth life, she was still flawed and she was sure she would continue to be. But going forward she would have to really think things through.

    Hopefully, it wasn''t already too late.

    ----

    Pain cause Ember to open her eyes. She tried to move but again the sensation of being connected to her body but unable to control it flooded her. She was still reliving her past. Why? Why hadn''t she woken up? Was she in a coma? More and more she was starting to suspect someone was using an ability on her. But how did she break free?

    Her thoughts shattered as the whip slashed down on her back. Again and again until she felt like she would pass out or die. Finally, the whipping stopped and she was dragged out from the stocks. She passed out.

    When she woke up, she was in her bed in the servant''s quarters. She was cleaned up and her wounds treated. Still, it hurt to move and she laid in her bed weeping. Eventually she found herself too tired to cry but the pain of her wounds wouldn''t let her sleep. So, Ember called up Finder.

    With a start, Ember realized she recognized this memory. It was after she had been wiped after she sent the team out to find a buried treasure only to lead them to a single coin. After that she had learned to be more specific with Finder but before that she had discovered something else.

    Keeper suddenly appeared in front of her and once again it flipped open to the page of her ability.

    ---

    <u>Finder''s Keeper</u>

    The ability to find what you seek and keep what you find.

    Status: Akashic Gifted, Permanent

    <u>Unlocked</u>

    1 - Find inanimate objects

    2 - Find unawaken creatures and people

    ---

    She remembered how she had kept the evolution a secret for as long as she could. Every night she had brought Finder up and looked for the dots where her family was located. But then...

    The room began to blur before her eyes and this time she was conscious as the scene changed. She was in the library staring at Finder. There were no dots showing on the map.

    "Finder, find Mister Zeris of Goros."

    Nothing.

    "Finder, find Rowan, son of Mister Zeris and Matron Camila."

    Nothing. Tears spilled down her cheek.

    "F-finder, find Matron Camila, mother of Maiden Ember and Rowan."

    Nothing.

    Over and over again, she asked Finder to find them but there was nothing. She knew there would be nothing. She was nineteen. Her father and brother had died years ago in a strange animal attack no one could explain. She had to beg to go to their funeral.

    Afterwards, her mother had been moved into the manor. She was allowed to see her for an hour a day to start and then it went down to every three days then once a week. Each time the length grew longer and longer.

    Three days ago, the dot showing her mother vanished. The next day she was told her mother had passed away in her sleep. Her funeral was yesterday and afterwards, Lord Felis hadn''t called for her. She was left alone to her devices.

    There were whispers that her mother had wasted away, refusing to eat until finally her spirit had left her. Ember was alone. She hid in the library because no one went in there besides Lord Felis and he had locked himself in his room.

    Huddled up, all Ember could do was call up Finder and ask the same question over and over again.

    I don''t want to relive this.

    "I''m sorry," a voice said.

    Ember''s past self looked up. Her eyes were dead. She was a husk with only the broken pieces of her spirit hanging. It looked like her past self was about to turn away but then she hesitated. It was the hair. The woman speaking to her had blue wavy hair. She had never seen that color. Most people who had colored hair weren''t human but the woman seemed human.

    "Are you human?"

    The woman seemed surprised by the question. "Yes. At least I started that way."

    Ember vaguely remembered this conversation. The woman had been a visitor at the estate. She didn''t know much about her and she quickly came and went.

    "I want to tell you a story," the woman said. "Will you listen to me?"

    "I''m a little old for stories," Ember said bitterly.

    "Then you don''t have to listen. I''ll just say tell it to the room you happen to be in."

    Ember''s past self said nothing. Then the woman began to speak.

    The story was like any story told to children. One of monsters and knights that fought them. Of treasure found and then lost, but Ember found herself drawn in. And it wasn''t just the self from the past, but her right now.

    As she listened to the weave her tale she could feel magic in the air. Ember hadn''t noticed it then but she could feel it now. A magic she had never encountered before. It was different from Akashic Tree and different from the Shade. It was something completely unique to this strange blue-haired woman.

    How did I not notice this before?

    Once again Keeper popped up.

    ---

    <u>Finder''s Keeper</u>

    The ability to find what you seek and keep what you find.

    Status: Akashic Gifted, Permanent

    <u>Unlocked</u>

    1 - Find inanimate objects

    2 - Find unawaken creatures and people

    3 - Find Knowledge

    ---

    "Who are you?" Ember asked.

    The woman smiled. "A friend of a friend."

 26 - Bird

    Ember frowned at the woman. A friend of a friend. She had no friends. All the people in her life were gone. She never figured out who the woman was talking about and shortly after her story she had left. Ember waited for the blue-haired woman to do that but she didn''t. Instead, she stood there smiling.

    Ember watched her confused. Did something else happen? Was there a gap in her memory? The world around her began to blur and the memory she was living in faded away but instead of being thrust into a new memory, everything became black. Ember looked around her. Was she going to wake up?

    "I need to wake up. How long have I been unconscious?"

    "I think for at least a day but you''re safe."

    Ember whipped around at the sound of the voice and she turned to see the blue-haired woman standing in the darkness with her. She smiled warmly at Ember though her eyes were sad.

    "How - Who are you?"

    The woman bit her lip. "I don''t think I''m allowed to tell you. Honestly, I''m not sure what is and isn''t allowed so you can just call me Bird."

    "Bird?" Ember asked incredulously.

    "It has a bit of truth without actually being the truth so I think it works," the woman said and then plopped on the ground, tucking her legs underneath her. "Sit with me."

    Ember frowned. "I''ll stand."

    "Okay!" The woman said cheerfully. "You''re probably wondering what''s going on."

    "Yes and more, but who are you? Not just your name but everything." She frowned. "Are you using an ability on me? Was I caught by Lord Felis?"

    Bird laughed. "Abilities. No. That seems to be completely an Akashic Tree thing. I have my own magic and it is much cooler. Though it has its price just like everything else." She pointed at Ember''s eye. "You really are using that for all its worth."

    All the things Bird said in a few sentences led to a sleuth of questions and Ember wasn''t sure what to ask first. She struggled before settling on one. "Did you curse me?"

    Bird scratched her cheek self-consciously. "Sorta. It was kind of a group project. I mean, I wasn''t trying to curse you but like I said, all magic has a price no matter what world you live in."

    Ember balled up her fist. She considered throwing a fireball in the woman''s face but then she would lose her source of information. She could always fireball her after she answered all her questions.

    "Why did you curse me?" Ember asked through gritted teeth.

    "Because the Akashic Tree needs you to live," Bird said and then frowned. "And that''s all I can say about that, I mean if you still want to keep that whole looping ability of yours."

    Ember blinked in surprise. "Looping...so this is tied to why I''m repeating this life over again."

    Bird nodded. "Those details you''re mostly going to have to figure out yourself. If I interfere too much you lose the ability. Unless you want to get rid of it. That''s an option."

    Ember was startled by that. "I can stop looping."

    "Yes. I can tell you about everything and you''ll stop looping. This life will be your last chance. I mean you''ve had a rough start this life but you could recover from it. Honestly, I suggest you don''t try to go through another loop. A new one and the price will get even bigger."

    Ember had to let that sink in. She hadn''t suffered from a curse in her previous life despite the loop. She wasn''t sure what made this time different. But if it would get worse then maybe it was better to stop herself from living through another loop.

    She discarded the idea. She would suffer through as many curses as she needed to if she was given the chance to save her family. Bird was right that she had a rough start so she wanted to make sure she could fix it if this life ended in failure.

    "I''ll keep the looping."

    Bird shook her head. "I feel sorry for you but I get it. Most people aren''t going to say no to having the chance to fix their mistakes even if it just leads to more mistakes."

    Ember wasn''t sure if Bird was mocking her but she forced herself to ignore it. She had other questions that needed answering. "What exactly is the price I''m paying. Or can you not tell me that either?"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Your soul," Bird said, pointing at Ember. "I''m sure you already feel it. Pieces of yourself being eaten away. Of course, it doesn''t stop there. There are some physical issues as well." She pointed to Ember''s eye. "Eventually you''ll lose your sight if you''re not careful and the curse spreads."

    Bird paused and her expression grew serious. "That''s why I''m here. I''m your warning. I had hoped to never have to meet you again but here we are."

    The blue-haired woman patted the spot next to her. This time Ember walked oer and sat.

    Bird turned to her and she had a sad smile on her face. "Like I said before, Ember. All magic has a cost and you have been using two very costly magics. The looping magic you are using needs something to fuel it and right now that''s your soul."

    Ember''s eyes widened and then her brow furrowed. "That''s impossible. Can a soul even be big enough to fuel such a cost?"

    Bird made a zipping motion over her lips. "I can''t really get into that but let''s go ahead and say yours is for unknown reasons. Now, when it comes to reincarnation, souls stay the same but a loop is different. Your soul isn''t moving onward but forcing itself to stay in time."

    "Stay in time?"

    Bird nodded. "Exactly. Time is a tricky thing. It does its own thing. Past, present, and future move all at the same time and separately but there is one thing that time doesn''t do and that''s stand still. Your loops are basically making time stop and then restart. That takes a ton of magic, the purest magic, and that''s soul."

    Ember thought she understood the basics of it but it opened up more questions. Questions about time and soul but she stopped herself from asking.

    "I won''t lose my loop ability by you telling me this, will I?"

    "Nope," Bird said. "That''s why I''m giving you the short version." Bird leaned back. "In any case, your soul is steadily being gobbled up and if you''re not careful it''ll be gone."

    "What happens if my soul is gone?" Ember asked with a sinking feeling.

    "You cease to exist and when I say that I mean ever. You''re just gone, forever. No reincarnation, no afterlife. Just a big nothing. It''s more than just dying."

    Ember shuddered. Since she had already lived two loops and been reincarnated once, a part of her had gotten used to the idea of the flexibility of life. Perhaps she was starting to take it for granted. Now she knew that the price for everything was much higher than she could imagine.

    "Well, I''ve given you the warning, now it''s time for a gift."

    "Gift?"

    Bird tilted her head. "It''s more like a tip." She put up one finger. "Every time you strain your soul you''ll come here and get to relive some memories. Pay attention to the memories you''re given."

    "Why?" Ember couldn''t help asking.

    Bird only smiled. Another question she couldn''t or wouldn''t answer. The blue-haired woman jumped to her feet. "Well that''s it. Warning given. If I stay her any longer I''ll end up messing things up."

    "Wait!" Ember said, scrambling to her feet. "Why did you pick me? Why do I have this looping ability?"

    "You met the requirements," Bird said with a shrug. "You weren''t the only one but you got there first."

    "What do you-"

    "And that''s enough for questions. Good luck, Ember. I doubt we''ll meet again but I hope we do."

    "You''re from Earth, aren''t you?" Ember blurted out.

    Bird stopped and she had a strange look in her eyes. "It''s been a while since I heard Earth referred to as a place instead of an element." She glanced back at Ember. "I''m rooting for you. Oh, and one more thing. Watch out for those tainted powers you''re using. A corrupted soul can be just as dangerous as having your soul gobbled up."

    And with that, Bird was gone. There was no magical fanfare. Just one moment she was there and the next she was gone.

    "Bird!" Ember shouted looking around her, hoping that she would get some sort of response. She called out her name several times but she never received an answer. She just stood in the darkness, alone once more.

    Her mind whirled with what Bird had told her. She knew about the soul being the pool for magic but she didn''t know that there were different types of magic a human could use. Would she be able to access it? She wasn''t sure. Honestly, Bird seemed different from other humans and how she said she started as a human.

    Was I talking to a god?

    Her mind couldn''t completely wrap around that. Bird was way too human. Still, that would be the answer that made the most sense. She sighed. She really shouldn''t be focusing on that. Instead, her attention came back to what Bird had said about her soul.

    The loop was eating her soul, so constantly looping wasn''t an option. On top of that her curse would spread, crippling her body as it did as more of her soul was taken. And if the soul was also the root of her magic that meant eventually her magic would be damaged in the process.

    Did that mean her current magic was damaged as well? The thought of staying in her weaken state made her shudder. No, she couldn''t think like that. Keeper had said her magic was at a hundred percent just that she hadn''t met the requirements. But now that she knew she could damage it, she would have to be careful.

    She took a deep breath. The last warning reminded her of Viera. She had always hated Soul Torture. So it was corrupting her soul. She had known it tainted her but a cleansing helped with that but corruption was much worse. In the early stages, it could be cleansed but the deeper the corruption the harder it became to cleanse, eventually it would twist a person into an abomination.

    The worse part was that she has two corruption powers she had used regularly in her tyrant life. She didn''t have access to them now but once they were unlocked, she would have to decide whether to keep them or get rid of them.

    There was too much to think about. Right now, she needed to wake up. How long would she be stuck in this black nothingness?

    As soon as the thought left her mind the darkness began to blur and a new scene appeared in front of her. It looked like her memories weren''t quite done with her yet.

 27 - Just a Look

    Madam Justine, widower of Olex, stared into the eyes of the man across the table from her. A bead of sweat trickled down the man''s forehead. His face was red as his muscles bulged as he tried to move her arm. Justine''s arm was like steel as he tried to get her to move. The man gritted his teeth as he pushed as hard as he could but her arm didn''t budge.

    "Hey there handsome," Justine said.

    The man looked at her, giving her a confused frown.

    She winked and then slammed his hand against the table.

    A mighty cheer went up around them as money exchanged hands. Justine grinned as she began sweeping up her own pile of coins, sliding them into a pouch.

    "How?" The man said confused and his face red and painted with anger and suspicion. "Are you a Seedling?"

    "Do I look like I''m on the payroll of some noble?" Justine shot back. She leaned forward and the cut of her shirt open up just enough to give a decent peek of a pair of her generous assets. "I''m just gifted in a lot of ways. If you''re lucky I''ll show how?"

    The man''s face grew even redder though this time it was for a different reason. He opened his mouth to speak but Justine leaned back and slapped her hand on the table.

    "A round of ale for everyone!" She shouted out.

    A roar filled the bar and she pushed away from her chair, making her way to the bar. She handed over a portion of her money to the barkeep while taking an ale for herself. She learned it was best to pass around a drink or two than deal with an angry sore loser later. In fact, she planned to finish her drink and then head out for the night.

    She had only a sip of her victory drink when a man saddled up to her. He was a thin sort with a gaze too knowing for her likes. She pretended he wasn''t staring at her and took another drink.

    "What''s your secret?"

    Justine didn''t say anything and just took another gulp of her ale.

    "Are you really not a Seedling?"

    She rolled her eyes. "I said I ain''t. You see me buddying up with Lord Felis or the Order? Now, let me finish my drink in peace."

    "There has to be a secret. No way a normal woman could beat that brute like you did. Was it a potion?" The thin man insisted

    Justine sighed. "You really can''t take a hint, can you? Do I need to knock your face in or something?"

    The man held up his hands defensively. "Whoa. I''m not trying to pick a fight."

    "You sure could''ve fooled me or did you think it''s charming implying I''m a cheater?"

    "Well, are you?" The thin man shot back.

    Justine threw back her head, chugging down her ale in one long gulp. When she came up from air, she looked at the man who was staring at her with his mouth gaping open like the dumb oxen of the Meshur Plains.

    "I ain''t. Now fuck off." With that she hurled her tankard at the man.

    With a swift movement, the man twisted out of the way. When he turned back to Justine, she was already halfway out the door. She sped up her step as she stepped into the darkness. She began walking down the road. She didn''t get far when the thin man followed her out.

    "Wait!"

    Justine kept walking.

    "Wait," the man shouted.

    She sensed him get closer. Just as his hand reached out to grab her shoulder, Justine twisted and then swing her fist. The man dodged but Justine immediately followed it up with an uppercut. The thin man jerked back just she still clipped him and the man found himself knocked to the ground.

    "Fuck! You hit hard."

    "If you don''t want more then I suggest you get lost," Justine said. "I''m not some easy mark."

    "Look, that''s not why I''m here."

    Justine rolled her eyes. "Oh? Is that so?"

    The man nodded his head. "I heard about you. My team could use some extra muscle."

    "Your team?" Justine said and it clicked what was going on. "You''re monster hunters."

    The man nodded.

    Justine sighed. "You came to the wrong side of the woods. It''s better to enter through Beros. Here you won''t get anything good."

    "You seem to know a lot. You a hunter," the man asked, getting to his feet and rubbing his jaw.

    She shook her head. "Nah. We get your sort through here from time-to-time. They think they can get some monsters on this side but come back disappointed. Nothing comes through this side because of the barrier."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "I heard there was an attack by blood leeches so something came through."

    Justine frowned. She couldn''t refute that. She had been there after all. It was strange. She had been taken completely off-guard and without her night strength she had been helpless to a fucking slug. If that girl hadn''t saved her, she would have been a dried-up husk. Well she had paid the lots of them back.

    "Maybe some stragglers got through. It''s rare but it happens," Justine said to the thin man and even as she said it felt like a flimsy excuse.

    The man shook his head. "It''s not just here but monsters have been showing up more often. The royal family has even sent out a kingdom wide order, giving extra coin to those that clear out monsters and bring back proof of it."

    Justine''s eyes sparked with interest. She hadn''t heard about that. What was going on? For a moment, the familiar urge to dive head first into adventure took her but she tapped it down. Her adventuring days were long over. She had enough scars.

    "Not interested," Justine said. "Besides, I''m not a Seedling."

    The thin man looked at her doubtfully. "Then how are you so strong? You have to have at least altered strength."

    She put her hands on her hips. "When are you going to get it through your thick head? I''m not a Seedling."

    "Then what are you?" the man said, obviously getting frustrated at her continued denial.

    "What is exactly the answer," Justine shot back.

    The man frowned and then his eyes widened.

    Justine didn''t wait around for the man to recovered. Instead, she kept walking. This time the thin man didn''t follow her.

    Well, that was incredibly stupid of me. What if he spreads that around? There''ll be questions.

    A wave of panic went through her but she firmly quelled it. So, what if there was questions? it wasn''t illegal to be living here and she was mostly human, at least a good 95 percent. Her family''s connection with the Night Orcs were long diluted. Only the families in the old lands still had any connection and her family was far removed from them. She hadn''t even met one and they sure hadn''t been there when her family was hunted down.

    Justine shook her head. There was no reason to dwell on that. She had long gotten past that and had time to make newer and deeper scars that she was still healing from. It was the whole reason she had settled in this dinky town. Time to heal, time to move on from a past that only left pain behind.

    That''s not right.

    She sighed. She knew there was no place to be thinking like that. Priest Octorin would be right disappointed after all the progress she made. It was time to let go. She was fine now.

    Justine took a step and then immediately stumbled. Her eyes widened as a glowing scroll hung in the air before her. It just appeared in front of her out of nowhere. She peered at it in confusion, looking around her. No one was there. Cautiously, she pulled out her knife and poked it. Her knife went right through the scroll as if it wasn''t there.

    "What in the hells is going on?"

    The scroll hung there, waiting. Justine''s curiosity got the better of her and she finally started to read the text scrawled across it.

    ---

    Quest of the Akashic Tree

    Follow the road to Felis Manor and look around.

    Reward: A New Path

    ---

    Justine stared at the quest. "Yeah, that told me absolutely nothing. Didn''t even know the Akashic Tree gave out quests."

    Justine frowned. She was talking to herself in the middle of the street. Maybe even hallucinating. Was the ale stronger than she thought.

    Justine waved her hand over the scroll and this time it disappeared. But there was a strange sensation. Like the scroll was still there where she couldn''t see, waiting for her to call it back.

    "A new path? Why would I want that?"

    She thought about the thin man and his offer and shook her head.

    "I''m fine here."

    She kept walking, determined to ignore what just happened. Whatever was going on, there was no point in getting involved. She had given up her adventuring days after losing Olex. She was fine in Goros, living her life, hanging at the bar, talking with Priest Octorin. It was a peaceful life. A life she had gotten used to.

    She continued walking down the road and walking and walking until she found herself at the road leading up to Lord Felis''s Manor. She stopped and frowned.

    "What am I doing here? I''m fine. I don''t need some messy quest in my life."

    She looked down the road and then back to where Goros stood. The town was dark, the only lights coming from the bar.

    "I should go home and sleep off the drink."

    She didn''t move. For a few minutes she looked down the road. Then she started to walk.

    "I''ll just take a look. See what it''s all about. Then I''ll head back home and think nothing else about it. A look won''t hurt. It''s no good to let curiosity eat at your mind. Bad for the mind, it is."

    Her steps sped up as she hurried down the road. A horse would''ve made things faster but the Night Orc blood flowing through her veins kept her moving quickly. It was a good thing she got the message at night or she would have had a much harder time of it.

    Eventually, she reached just before the treeline opened up to the field before the baron''s manor. She stopped and looked towards the manor. Now that she was here she wasn''t sure what to do. keep walking and just ask Lord Felis if he had a new path for her? It seemed pretty silly when she thought about it.

    "I really must have been drunk," Justine said, running her hand through her hair only to stop. "Wait, what is that?"

    She squinted and took a step forward as she saw flames raise up from the Felis manor. There were shouts from the guards. Whatever was going on, Justine was sure it was bad news.

    "Curiosity sated. Time to go." She had no intention of being accused of being part of whatever mess was going on.

    She started to turn to head back when she caught sight of a small figure rushing out of the gate. Justine slid off the road, stepping into the trees as she watched the small figure move closer to the trees, but before the figure could reach the trees they screamed and clutched at their eye. They dropped to the ground, rolling around as they continued to scream.

    Before Justine could think better of it. She shot out of the field and towards the figure. By the time she reached them, they had stopped screaming and were laying limp on the ground.

    "Son of a bitch," Justine whispered as she stared down at what she now saw was a girl.

    She was a very familiar girl. Her curly brown hair surrounded her face like a halo and her eyes stared blankly back at Justine, her eyes open. It was the right eye that held Justine''s attention. It was glowing.

    "Damn it," Justine said, glancing at the girl then to the manor and back. "Ember. You alive? You look like you''re breathing but got to admit the whole staring with glowing creepy eye is freaking me out."

    The girl didn''t response.

    Justine swore to herself. She had to make a decision.

    She sighed. The decision had long been made when she decided to follow that stupid quest. She bent down and scooped the girl up.

    "A new path? Sounds more like new trouble." With a shake of her head, she carried Ember into the woods and began making her way home.

 28 - Pattern

    Ember was running. The feeling was disorienting and she tried looking around but like before when she relived her memories, she had no control over her body. Instead, she kept running. Her body ached and a mixture of grief and fear covered her mind. Her breath came out in ragged spurts that held back tears.

    Eventually she stopped and looked around her. Her gaze frantic, then her eyes landed on what she was looking for. It was a deep hole near a tree trunk. Ember scrambled into it. Her thin, malnourished body barely fit, but she managed. It looked to be some animals burrow that hadn''t return and it was deep. She grabbed several branches from the forest ground, spreading them over her hiding place.

    Sinking deeper into the hole, she waited. It wasn''t long before the beast came. It was large and reminiscent of a gorilla but bigger with dark green fur that blended into the forest and yellow eyes. Its teeth were sharp like that of a carnivore meant to eat flesh. The beast had the strength of a ranked Seedling with altered strength as well as both regeneration and rejuvenation.

    Ember tried not to breathe as the creature searched for her. The beast looked around, his nostrils flaring. It moved closer to the burrow she hid in. She covered her mouth, trying not to make a sound. The creature paced outside her hiding spot, agitated. Then abruptly, it struck its hand through the hole.

    She barely held back her cry as the ape''s hand groped for her. Ember pressed herself further back in the hole, staying out of reach. The gorilla let out another cry and then pulled its hand back. Ember waited, hoping the beast would go away. She started to relax but then a yellow eye peered at her.

    The ape shrieked and then tried to get at her with new zeal. The beast clawed at the hole, throwing away chunks of dirt. It would be a matter of time until it would get to her. Ember twisted and began her own digging, trying to move deeper into the burrow.

    A guttural growl came from the ape as if it comprehended that she was trying to escape and as she dug so did it, moving deeper. She widened the burrow, sinking deeper into it. Her desperation ignoring how worn her body was but she knew she wouldn''t be able to continue this forever.

    Suddenly the dirt shifted. Ember''s eyes widened and then the entrance to the burrow collapsed. Ember laid there, buried alive.

    Screw this memory.

    The memory was from the beginning of her tyrant life. She had successful killed Lord Felis in the beginning of her life. She had even snuck around to do it, making sure the trail wouldn''t lead to her but somehow, she had been found out. She suspected it was a Seedling with some sort of ability that made it possible.

    In the end, her and her family escaped through the forest. At first it was fine, her father''s life as a logger meant he was familiar with the woods. He even managed to handle a few of the monsters and beasts they encountered. But the people that had been sent after them were Seedlings and eventually they were forced to move deep into the forest where the awaken beasts laid.

    They lost their trail only to find themselves hunted by beasts as strong as Seedlings. Ember had managed to find them a safe base to hole up in, though everyday she brought up Finder to check if it was still safe or a new location could be found. She was hoping to awaken a new level of her power, one that would show her the awaken beasts and seedlings so she could navigate them out of the forest and into safety.

    In the end, she had went to a location to scavenge for food with her father when they were attacked by the ape. Her father...he didn''t make it. She ran but couldn''t run back to the base and lead the creature them. So she hid and now.

    Scratch, scratch.

    It was the sound of digging.

    To this day, Ember doesn''t know how long she was trapped in the burrow. She would hear the digging of the ape and sometimes she wouldn''t. Sometimes it seemed a long time would pass without any sound and she would call up Finder in an attempt to discover if the ape was still outside. But Finder wouldn''t show her.

    The air was thinner and Ember found herself sliding in and out of consciousness. Then all of a sudden, the digging grew louder. She tried to move but her body was too weak. She could barely keep her eyes open. All of a sudden there was light, and a strong hand grabbed her. She tried to struggle but it made no difference.

    Fresh air filled her lungs and she found herself staring into a man''s face. His skin was dark and his brown eyes seemed to burn with a natural fire that mixed with surprise and confusion. Be beyond that was Finder. The map still hovered in the air in front of her and a new message had popped up.

    ---

    <u>Finder''s Keeper</u>

    The ability to find what you seek and keep what you find.

    Status: Akashic Gifted, Permanent

    <u>Unlocked</u>This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    1 - Find inanimate objects

    2 - Find unawaken creatures and people

    3 - Find Knowledge

    4 - Find awaken creatures and people

    ---

    Then she passed out.

    In the darkness the current Ember, looked blankly. She understood what Bird meant. It was pretty obvious when she thought about it. All these memories she was reliving were of how she unlocked the levels of her ability. And each one was tied to a traumatic event.

    She laughed. "Are you saying the only way to evolve my ability is to suffer?"

    Of course, no one answered her. She sighed. She knew that traumatic events could develop soul abilities but she didn''t know much about evolved abilities. Honestly, she had heard of people having evolved abilities but whenever she had managed to take one from someone it had just seemed like a normal ability for her.

    In the end, she had realized that if she took an evolved ability it would revert to its level 1 form. The only time that wasn''t the case was if the person original form of an ability was its evolved form. Ember had tried studying more about abilities in her tyrant life. She would''ve been a fool not to do so. The problem came in that in most cases she didn''t have time to do the deep research she wanted.

    She was either running from the kingdom''s knights, fighting, or planning her revenge on this or that person. She also spent most of her time searching for abilities and trying to find the perfect list of abilities to keep.

    "Maybe I shouldn''t have been so focused on stomping on everyone." She chuckled.

    Honestly, she didn''t regret the revenge she took. Her regrets were only that she became so consumed by it that she failed to protect the people she cared about.

    The room began to grow blurry, indicating she was going to be reliving another memory and she knew what memory would be coming.

    "Stop! I get what you are trying to show me. Just...please, I don''t want to see anymore."

    The wavering of the room stopped and she was left in the darkness. She was a bit surprised it actually stopped. Maybe she could have stopped it all along but she suspected that wasn''t the case. While she didn''t ask for it to stop verbally before, she definitely thought it and this space did seem to have access to her thoughts.

    Still, it could mean she needed to say stop verbally, but since this was all happening in her mind, she wasn''t actually speaking out loud anyway. No, it was more likely that the reason she wasn''t trapped in another memory was because she had hit upon what she needed to learn from the memories.

    They were teaching her how she had unlocked levels of her ability. So, her evolution of power was directly tied to her suffering, but was it simply suffering? She didn''t think so. While these moments were stand-outs they weren''t the only time she had suffered so it had to be more than that.

    Her brow furrowed as she considered each memory she had seen. All of them she had been pushed to a point physically, mentally, and emotionally that almost broke her. So maybe it wasn''t suffering but pushing herself past her limits. Did that mean to evolve she had to push beyond her limits?

    It made sense to her, especially since abilities were tied to physical, mind, and soul. And she could say that all three were pushed to their limits in each situation she encountered when she leveled up. She grimaced. At the end, that would mean she would basically have to live through torture to grow. It would explain why most Seedlings didn''t have evolved abilities and the ones who did gain them might not have survived, since evolved didn''t exactly equated to some life-saving ability to get out of trouble.

    Which brought the question of how did evolutions work. After meeting the requirements to evolve, did a set ability unlock? She frowned. She didn''t think that was exactly true. While her unlocked levels did seem to go in a certain pattern, they also seemed to connect to what she was focused on at the time.

    Her first level, she just wanted to prove useful, while her second level she had been wanting to connect with her family. The third, well, that one was an outlier since it seemed to be tied to Bird. Which brought up the question of that outside people could affect her level evolutions. But was that the norm or just a quirk tied to Bird. In the end, she decided to analyze that later.

    For her fourth life, she was trying to see if she could pinpoint where the ape was to make her escape. So in all of these lives her level-ups were actively tied to what she was trying to do in some way. Still, she definitely wanted to know where awaken were before her encounter with the ape. Perhaps, she hadn''t met the requirements before.

    It made her wonder if there was a list of abilities she could access at certain levels and she as assigned whichever ones was closest to what she wanted at the time. She frowned. She didn''t like that, since it meant she was essentially going in blind to pick her abilities.

    Before Ember could think further on the possibilities the world shimmer around her. Another memory? She thought she was done with those.

    Everything changed and she found herself standing in a field. It was dark with moonlight shining down. Several blue lights shimmered in the air, just out of reach, and amidst it all was a tree. Calling it a tree wasn''t doing it justice. It was the largest tree she had ever seen. It climbed up into the sky until it was lost among the clouds. Its width was so large that Ember wouldn''t have been surprised to find a small town within its depths.

    A multitude of colored leaves hung from its branches, range from flaming orange to a seafoam blue. And surrounding the entire tree was a warm glow that reached out to her in the familiar comfort she recognized from her Blessing.

    "The Akashic Tree," she whispered.

    As she spoke, a branch reached out to her. The branch wrapped around her wrist.

    ''Ember.''

    Her eyes widened at the voice. It vibrated with power but it was also so gentle.

    "Yes?"

    ''Live.''

    Then abruptly, she was yanked backwards. Her body flew through the air, flying away from the tree. She tried to reach out but she found herself rushing through a clutter of memories. Pain lashed through her head and she gasped.

    Ember opened her eyes.

    She was in an unfamiliar room, lying in an unfamiliar bed. There were voices. She groaned as pain throbbed through her eye and into her head.

    "Looks like someone finally decided to wake up."

    Ember turned and saw a somewhat familiar face. "Knife woman."

    The woman laughed. "I prefer Justine."

    Ember closed her eyes and breathed. She was finally awake.

 29 - Misdirection

    The first thing Ember did was take stock of her surroundings. She was in a bare room with a straw bed, a small table and chair, and a praying cushion. Besides Justine, there was no one else around. She wasn''t shackled or otherwise bound. She sat up. She felt weak but not enough to keep in her in bed.

    "Whoa there. You''ve been out of it for two days. Take your time."

    Ember blinked. "Two days?" Her voice was hoarse and she rubbed at her throat.

    Justine nodded and handed her a glass of water sitting on the table.

    Ember took it and forced herself not to gulp it down and instead take small sips. After she finished, she set the glass on the floor besides the bed she was on.

    "Where am I?"

    "At the temple. The guards were searching houses and the temple was the safest. They don''t have the balls to come storming in here." Justine crossed her arms. "Priest Octorin and I have been taking care of you."

    Ember''s lips twisted up. She had been trying to escape Goros and she was back here yet again. Still, she had no plans to stay here for long.

    "What''s your story?" Justine asked, peering at her with curious green eyes. "Were you the one who fucked up that creepy noble?"

    Ember''s lips tightened and she looked away. "I''m not sure what you mean."

    "Come on. I found you unconscious outside the manor when you should be on the road to Hekral with those knights. I heard Lord Felis got himself tortured and you just have a reason to do it."

    Ember turned to meet the woman''s eyes. "What could I have possibly done?"

    "Tch," the woman said, pouting as she plopped down in her chair. "Then it was Welks after all."

    Ember blinked. "Welks?"

    Justine nodded, resting her elbows on her knees. "He''s gone missing. He knocked out some guards and was last seen near Lord Felis''s room. No one is sure why he done. Besides a few potions, they didn''t find anything else missing. Though there is some debate that he might have been hired to rough the noble up by someone he pissed off."

    Justine''s eyes sparkled. "Did you hire him? Is that why you were there? Did he knock you out and leave you to take the blame?"

    Ember stared at the woman. She really did have a big imagination. Ember shook her head. "No. Welks is more likely to kill me than help me."

    Justine leaned back and crossed her arms. "Then why were you there?"

    Ember considered keeping silent but, in the end, decided it would be better to give Justine some sort of excuse. While the woman''s imagination was wild, she had originally figured out the truth. She didn''t need her to start digging.

    "I wanted to rescue my father," Ember said.

    Justine raised an eyebrow. "And how were you planning to do that."

    "I was going to sneak in and steal a key to sneak him out." She shrugged. "I wasn''t really thinking straight." Technically all of what she said was true, she was just withholding a few details.

    Justine snorted. "What an idiot! Were you wanting to get yourself killed?"

    Ember scowled. "No."

    "That''s exactly what would have happen and probably your father along with you. That''s if I hadn''t found you first."

    Ember was annoyed but she knew what the woman said was true which brought up another question. "How did you find me?"

    At the question, Justine''s expression grew strange. "I was taking a stroll and I came across you."

    Right away, Ember knew she was lying. Why would she be taking a stroll to Lord Felis''s manor. Then a new thought occurred to her. Was the woman working for Lord Felis? It would explain why she had been going in that direction and happened to come across her. There was also the possibility that she was doing a soft interrogation right now to see if she actually been involved in the attack on the manor. She needed to be careful.

    "What happens now?" Ember asked, not bothering to question the woman further when she could be a spy.

    "I''m not rightly sure," Justine said, looking awkward. "I was hoping you might know that."

    Ember stared at the woman. "Why would I know that?"

    Justine shrugged and then pushed herself up from the chair. "Well for now I should let Priest Octorin know you''re awake. Then I guess we''ll figure things out from there."

    Ember nodded, leaning back into the bed and closing her eyes. She listened as the door was shut. She rolled to herself and waited. While she waited, she looked herself over. Though she felt weaker she thought she could move pretty well. Her magic was full and that was all she really needed.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Keeper.

    Her book appeared and she scanned it quickly, looking to see the food she had within it was still there as well as the money and beast box. She started to shut Keeper when she glanced at the abilities she had and her eyes widened.

    Two more abilities had unlocked - Mind Resistance and Soul Resistance. Mind Resistance was ridiculously weak currently and wouldn''t hold up against anyone with a direct mind ability but it would work on those abilities that had secondary mind affects. Soul Resistance on the other hand was halfway to being as strong as it had been in her previous life. It looked like her curse had kicked it out of dormancy with a vengeance.

    But it wasn''t just that which had improved. Her illusion ability had grown stronger. Excitement rushed through her and she immediately called up an illusion.

    "Hello," she whispered and her voice came out deep and husky. Sound illusions! She could do them now! She would have to practice to see how far the sound illusion held but it was a much needed evolution.

    She quickly looked over the other skills. Fire, water, air had grown a little stronger but not by much. She would have to practice them a bit more. Earth hadn''t changed and neither had Sleep. Stealth looked like it was on the edge of growing stronger but wasn''t quite there yet.

    Besides all those the only one to show significant growth was Soul Torture. Of course, it had grown stronger. Ember stared at the skill. It would corrupt her soul. She could release the skill but then there was a chance it would return to its original owner and she couldn''t allow that. She wasn''t even sure if she wanted to get rid of the skill. The drawbacks were...significant.

    Honestly, passing out and being stuck reliving her memories for days was a major problem, especially if it could corrupt and spread her curse. But giving up such a powerful trump card seemed just as reckless. As long as she had access to someone who could do Cleanse then she didn''t have to worry too much about the corruption as long as she was Cleansed in a reasonable amount of time.

    Am I letting my greed for power rule me?

    It was possible. A pensive expression covered her face. She needed to think on it. Whatever she decided, she would have to wait until she encountered the ability''s original owner. There was no way she was going to let that sicko have that power again.

    Decided, Ember stood. She took out a piece of bread from Keeper''s Hold before closing it. Stuffing the food in her mouth, she made her way to the door. She opened it, peeking out and seeing a few acolytes walking by. There was no sign of Priest Octorin or Justine.

    She closed the door and then swiftly put an illusion on herself. This time she dressed herself as a male acolyte. Stepping out of the room, she moved down the hall. She gathered she was on the staff side of the Temple. It was an area she had never been in so it took her a while to find an exit but she managed.

    Once she was in the temple, she hurried to the exit and was relieved when no one stopped her. Once outside she moved to the sege houses and considered her next move. The problem was that she didn''t have a horse. She wouldn''t be able to catch up with the delegation by foot. She could steal a horse but that was likely to bring attention to her, especially since only the wealthy had horses.

    She grimaced. Could she make it on foot alone? It wasn''t ideal. There was an option to leave with tourists but then she would have to wait. Waiting meant that Justine might come searching. She stood divided on the options but her desire to not stay in Goros for another moment won out. She would see if any wagons might be leaving today and if not she would go by foot.

    Decided, she made her way to the road that led to Hekral. She kept her eyes out for people loading their wagons but noticed right away that most of the tuorists seemed to have left already. It had been some time since the Choosing and there wasn''t much in Goros to keep people around.

    She saw one wagon loading up and changed her appearance to a woman with worn leather jerkins and a knapsack and bow. It made her look like a hunter who had came to look for game or even a budding monster hunter. From there she approached the wagon and managed to secure passage. The wagon wouldn''t be leaving until tomorrow but that worked out fine for her.

    From there she moved further away and changed her appearance back into a male acolyte. She then moved to the road. There she found several guards watching the road. Warily, she approached. The guards frowned.

    She nodded at them. "I heard there were guards on the road. Is it blocked off entirely or may I pass?"

    One of the guards squinted. "And why do you need to go out."

    "I''m going to the temple in Hekral."

    The guard gave her a suspicious look. "With no luggage or escort?"

    She nodded. "It is a personal pilgrimage."

    The guards exchanged looks. It wasn''t uncommon for members of the Akashic Order to go on pilgrimages, either alone or with a group. It was the main reason she had worn the illusion of an acolyte. Still, it was risky to do so in the midst of a manhunt.

    She stood there and waited patiently to see if the guards would let her pass. She could see they were still unsure. She turned over what she could say to convince them when a voice called out.

    "Acolyte Em...ette!"

    Ember recognized the voice and turned to see Justine hurrying towards her while holding the reigns to a horse. She had a wide grin on her face and Ember was completely sure the woman knew it was her though she had no idea how.

    "You left too quickly. Priest Octorin wanted me to escort you."

    Ember frowned. "There''s no need. I''m fine on my own."

    Justine nodded. "I know the pilgrimage is a way to show your faith but think of this as Akashic leading me to you."

    The way Justine said the words made it sound like she had another meaning hidden in her words. She hesitated and looked at the guards. They were watching the pair thoughtfully and seemed to have relax a bit when they saw Justine. it seemed the woman''s arrival lent authenticity to her story.

    "I think it''ll be best for us all if I come along," Justine said, her gaze darting to the guards.

    Was she threatening her?

    Ember frowned and then reluctantly nodded. "If Akashic wills it, who am I to say no."

    Justine''s grin widened.

    Ember turned away from the woman and looked at the guards. "May I pass?"

    "Of course, Acolyte," the guard said, stepping away to let her through. "Fortunate be with you on your pilgrimage."

    Ember was surprised at the greeting. It looked like the guard might be a devout believer, something she didn''t expect among the mercenary turned guards. She nodded her head and then began walking forward with Justine behind her. The woman paused to speak to the guards before continuing onwards.

    Neither spoke as they continued moving. They moved further down the road where they ran into a few more guards but most waved them forward without a hassle. It wasn''t until they had cleared Goros that Ember made her move.

    Mally was still on her wrist. She stopped and moved to the horse as if she had grown tired and was preparing to ride it when she turned and raised her hand. Instantly, Mally became a sword in her hand and she put the blade to Justine''s throat.

    Ember narrowed her eyes. "You have one minute to explain yourself before I gut you."

 30 - Sharing

    Justine stared at her like she wasn''t sure if she should be taking her seriously. "You are one feisty kid."

    "45 seconds," Ember said.

    Justine held up her hands defensively. "Okay, okay. Calm down. I followed you here."

    "How?" Ember asked not lowering her sword.

    "I saw you leaving or at least the acolyte you," she said, nodding at Ember. "I knew no one had entered the room so figured it was you. Checked just in case to make sure and then followed you. Even saw you switching faces when talking to those merchants."

    Ember blinked in surprise. "You followed me...but how?"

    Justine grinned. "My stealth skills are pretty damn good."

    Ember mentally swore to herself. It should''ve been something she looked out for but she hadn''t even thought about. Most people that had stealth skills belonged to the House of Rakel. She didn''t think they had any connection to Lord Felis unless the King sent them to spy on the noble.

    "Rakel?"

    Justine snorted. "No. I wouldn''t join their ranks even if you paid me a 1000 gold."

    Ember found herself curious about that. Her interactions with the Rakel had found them to be an interesting noble house. While they officially worked for the King they weren''t above taking side jobs. She worked with them and also fought against them. In the end, she didn''t find them a bad group just opportunistic.

    In any case, it definitely answered one question for her. "You''re an unregistered Seedling."

    Justine''s mouth twisted and she shook her head. "Wrong again."

    Ember''s eyebrows shot up at the denial. "If you were registered, the Rakel''s would have grabbed you up."

    "You know, you certainly seem to know a lot for a kid that grew up in a small nowhere town," Justine pointed out and nodded to the sword. "Why don''t you put that sword down and let''s have a proper conversation."

    "I could say the same for you," Ember shot back. She turned over her options.

    The woman had saved her. She also didn''t send out an alarm when she saw Ember sneak out. No one had attacked her since they left Goros and the woman could''ve. For all intents and purposes, the woman had helped her get pass the gate and even brought a horse which meant they might be able to catch up with the delegation or at least cut down their time on the road.

    Ember lowered her sword and Mally shifted back into a bracelet on her wrist. It wouldn''t hurt to give her a chance. Besides, she had her abilities and she could always use the practice.

    "So you''re a registered stealth Seedling that somehow managed to keep out of the grasp of the Rakels," Ember said as they continued walking.

    "Not a Seedling," Justine said simply.

    Ember stared at the woman. "Really? That''s what you expect me to believe."

    Justine shrugged. "It''s the truth."

    Ember rolled her eyes. "Sure. I might look young but I''m not stupid."

    Justine let out a snort. "I could tell you but you seem like an attack first, ask questions later sort."

    "That''s fair," Ember said. It wouldn''t be the first time in this life or the last that she had been told that. Stabbing things tended to solve her problems at least a good sixty percent of the time. Though so far, in this life, that path hadn''t been working out as well for her.

    "As long as you''re not a serial killer, royal, or Shade, I won''t attack you unless you give me reason to," Ember said.

    "That''s quite the list. What''s a Shade?" Justine asked, curious.

    "Trouble. Are you going to explain."

    "I will but only if you do the same. I shouldn''t be the only one telling my secrets," Justine stated.

    Ember considered. She of course had no intention of telling her about all her abilities. As nice as Justine was she didn''t know her. She hadn''t even told her family yet so she certainly wasn''t going to tell a stranger. Still she could give her some information, at least enough so she could use some of her abilities during their trip if need be.

    "Okay," she said. "But you have to go first."

    Justine nodded with a pleased smile on her lips. "It''s true I''m not a Seedling. Couldn''t be one if I wanted to. Too much Night Orc blood in me."

    Ember''s eyes widened as she turned to Justine in surprise. She looked the woman over but there was nothing about her that hinted that she had Night Orc blood besides being a bit tall and a little muscular. Her skin was pale but not the silvery white of the Night Orcs. To be able to look almost completely human while having Night Orc race blessing would be a boon to most. What was she even doing in a small town like Goros?Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    "How much of the race blessing did you get?"

    Justine''s eyes widened slightly at Ember''s question. "Pretty much all of it. I was lucky or unlucky depending on who you ask."

    Ember blinked. "Even with diluted blood you have the full blessing?"

    Justine shrugged. "For the most part. My abilities are about seventy percent of those of a true Night Orc."

    Ember whistled. "That''s a lot."

    Justine must be the most successful of the crossbreed experiment. The crossbreed experiment happened a long time ago, where humans set out to combine races, so they could gain their Race Blessing. Humans were the only race that didn''t have a Race Blessing, instead they had the ability to become Seedlings.

    Race Blessings were when everyone in a race were given the same abilities. For Night Orcs it was stealth, altered strength, rejuvenation, and regeneration, thought with the drawback that their full powers could only be used at night, while 20-50 percent could be used in the day depending on the Night Orc. Elves race blessing was plant manipulation, spirit communication, earth elemental, and far sight. They''re drawback was that they could only access their full abilities in natural environments such as forests.

    Humans had Seedlings instead, which allowed them to have a diversity of abilities among themselves which didn''t have the drawbacks of only being used in certain areas or times. Instead, their abilities were limited and they had to meet requirements to gain them. And, of course, there were those that wouldn''t awaken an ability at all.

    Both had their benefits and drawbacks which led to the crossbreed experiments. Surprisingly, some of the non-human races agreed to the experiment. Everyone was hoping to gain an offspring that both had race blessings and could become a Seedling.

    Unfortunately, the experiment was a failure. Even so, there were some hybrids that were able to gain race blessings and certain families kept at it, seeing it as more beneficial to have a race blessing than becoming a Seedling.

    Justine must be from one of those families. At least she assumed Justine was part of that experiment. It was possible that she was the offspring of a romantic relationship between a human and a Night Orc though it was unlikely. Natural births between races were rare. It took a lot of work to actually birth a hybrid. It was why the crossbreed experiment had eventually gone out of fashion and was looked down upon by most.

    "You seem to know a lot about hybrids. More than a girl from a small town should know," Justine said and there was a hint of suspicion in her voice.

    Ember blinked and for a moment she wondered if she had been talking out loud but then she recalled their conversation. Even the few questions she had asked Justine was more than she should''ve known. It was a mistake...or was it? She didn''t have any reason to pretend to be less intelligent than she was. it was unlikely that someone would assume she had relived her life since that was impossible. If anything, they would think she had some connections to someone powerful and more knowledgeable which technically she did - herself, or as people were led to believe, her mage teacher.

    "I know a lot. I''m a mage apprentice. I''m supposed to meet my teacher in Hekral. Her name is Bloom Larisel."

    Justine whistled. "You certainly have some connections. So you''re a Seedling. That explains why you gave your blessing away."

    Ember nodded and kept walking. Mentioning she was a mage''s apprentice should help dissuade Justine from attacking her and gaining the wrath of a Bloom. Though, she was starting to think the woman really just wanted to help her though she had no idea why. She could see that she wanted to return the favor for helping her back with the blood leeches but she did that when she picked up her unconscious body. So why was she still helping her now?

    "So are you going to tell me what your abilities are? You know mine so I think it''s only fair given our agreement."

    Ember gave a clip nod. "Illusions, which you already know. I also have the fire element and a mapping ability called Finder."

    "Three abilities!" Justine said. "No wonder you drew the attention of a mage. You''ll rank as a Bloom as soon as you register."

    Ember nodded. "Just don''t tell anyone. At least not until I''m registered."

    Justine nodded. "I get it. You don''t want Lord Felis to try to claim you."

    "Yeah," Ember said. It was easier to let her think that. Besides, if she did register, they would only see Finder''s Keeper and therefore she wouldn''t even get a rank. By then, she and Justine would have parted ways and so she would avoid any questions about how she was able to do illusions and use the fire ability. Still, she might want to think of a good cover story just in case.

    Before that, she had a more pressing question on her mind. "Why did you follow me this far?"

    A strange look appeared on Justine''s face. Instead of answering her question, Justine asked her one instead. "Are you connected to the Akashic Order?"

    "As much as any Seedling is," Ember answered.

    Justine''s green eyes grew intense. "What about the Akashic Tree? Any special connection to it?"

    "No..." Ember paused. She didn''t think she had a special connection but then she remembered about what she had seen in her dream...vision? The Akashic Tree had appeared in front of her though she had no idea why. With what she learned from bird, it was likely that it was tied to her looping and possibly her curse. "Why are you asking me about this?"

    Justine looked ahead of her with a thoughtful expression. "You know how I said I found you while on a stroll. Well, I wasn''t there by accident."

    Ember''s lips tightened as she listened and her thumb rubbed against Mally.

    "I was given a quest from the Akashic Tree. A glowing scroll just popped up in front of my face telling me to head over to Felis Manor and look around. I wasn''t sure what was going on but I had nothing better to do so I decided to take a look. Lo and behold, there you were on the ground staring out with these empty eyes while a fire raged over at the manor."

    Ember took Justine''s words in with a creeping dread. Why would the Akashic Tree give Justine a quest to save her. no, that wasn''t right. She said that the quest told her to look around. "There''s nothing to say the quest as about me."

    "What else could it have been about," Justine said. "There weren''t any other unconscious people around."

    Ember knew she was right.

    "There was just one strange thing about it."

    "Strange?"

    Justine nodded. "Why did the quest tell me to look around? Should it have told me to rescue you or something of the sort? I had no idea what the stakes were and with how vague the quest was, I could''ve just ignored it."

    That was a good point, but Ember had no idea why the quest had been so vague. Besides something else grabbed her interest.

    "Is this your first time getting a quest from the Akashic Tree?"

    "Yeah," Justine said with a nod. "I didn''t even know the Akashic Tree gave out quests. Have you had one before?"

    Ember shook her head. "No, but you''re the second person who said they received one." The first she even heard of quests was when Patricia gained one. Perhaps this was tied to Patricia? She had the Oracle ability which the priest saw as a big deal based on how they treated her.

    "Did the quest say anything else?" Ember asked.

    "It sure did," Justine said with a grin. "It said I would be rewarded with a new path, so here I am. And I think that answers your question of why I''m here."

    Ember stared. Justine stared back. It looked like things were getting a lot more complicated.

 31 - Deal

    It wasn''t until they camped for the night Ember spoke to Justine about their earlier conversation.

    The pair had moved off the road and into the woods, managing to find a small clearing. They could have camped out on the dirt road. It was wide enough and many caravans did it instead of risking the woods and its beasts, but they both decided that doing so as two females alone would just bring unnecessary trouble.

    Ember had built a small fire using her elemental powers to keep them warm. She made sure to keep it as small as possible. Besides that, they also had food. She had told Justine she had hid a cache of items in the woods for her escape and managed to get some privacy to retrieved a bag of food from Keeper. She wasn''t sure if the woman bought her story but she didn''t say anything more about it, especially since it meant they had food to last them until Hekral.

    Ember had hoped to meet up with the delegation before they reached Hekral but they were over two days behind. She would have to make sure if it was even feasible. Since they were moving by wagon with so many people, the group would be slower so it was possible to catch up to them by horseback. The problem came in the fact there was one horse and two of them.

    Since she had the body of a young child, doubling up on the horse should be fine but whether the horse could cover the distance needed with them both on his back was a different story. Ember frowned and then called up Finder.

    The map unfurled in front of her.

    "Finder," she said. "Find Matron Camila, mother of Ember and Rowan, wife of Zeris."

    A red dot appeared on the map. It was much further down the road, but not as far as she expected. Maybe they had waited a day to look for her before continuing on. That meant she could probably catch up after all.

    Behind her, Ember heard footsteps. "That''s pretty damn useful."

    Ember didn''t turn around, her gaze was fixed on the red dot. The dot didn''t move much so it probably meant the delegation had camped for the night.

    "Can you use it to find game?"

    Ember glanced at Justine. "I can." She looked back at the map and started to close it when Justine spoke again.

    "What about monsters?"

    Ember didn''t answer. Instead, she closed the map. "Are you, an adult, planning to just blindly follow me, a child?"

    "The way you say that sounds really bad."

    Ember crossed her arms and stared at the woman.

    "Fine, fine." She twisted her lips, looking pensive. "So...yes and no. I plan to stick around you for a little while and see what this new path might be. I wasn''t doing much in Goros so I have some free time. Then if that doesn''t pan out I''ll head off and see if there is something else for me."

    Ember considered her words. "How long are you planning to stick around?"

    Justine shrugged. "Not sure. Probably a month or so."

    Ember frowned. "You know I can just report you to the knights."

    "Now why would you want to do that?" Justine said. "Especially since I can report you right back."

    Ember narrowed her eyes. "Are you blackmailing me?"

    "No," Justine said firmly. "You''re the one bringing up reporting people to knights. I''m just showing that you''re not the only one who can sing that song. Look, the Akashic Tree sent me your way for a reason. I don''t think I''m the only one who can benefit from it."

    "And how exactly can I benefit?"

    Justine snorted. "Are you kidding me?" She walked over to a tree, pulled back her fist and then slammed it into the tree.

    A burst of wood and splinters filled the air. Justine pulled her hand back, shaking it. "That''s smarts. Remind me to wear gloves next time."

    Ember looked at the hole in the tree that Justine left behind. Before returning her gaze to Justine. The woman was grinning widely.

    "I''m strong as any Seedling with altered strength and on top of that I''m not tied down by a noble or follow the rules of the Order."

    Ember''s eyes glinted. "Are you saying you plan to work for me?"

    Justine blinked and then shrugged. "Sure, well within reason. I don''t suppose you have the money to hire me."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Ember shook her head. Despite the money she had, she already planned to use it to help set up her family and get started on her plan to secure a safe place for everyone.

    "Hmm. Well, I make it a rule not to work for free, so how about we make an arrangement."

    Ember looked at Justine suspiciously. "What type of arrangement?"

    "It depends. That map of yours. Can it locate monsters?"

    Ember hesitated and then nodded.

    Justine grinned. "Damn! That''s great. That means you can point me in the right direction and I can hunt down some of the more valuable monsters. I''ll even do you a solid and give you twenty percent."

    "Fifty percent," Ember shot bak.

    "What? Are you planning to hunt with me then? Twenty percent and that''s being generous."

    "I could help you hunt. I''m not helpless. So that''s me hunting with you plus providing my map skill. Honestly, I should be getting 60 percent if not more."

    Justine rolled her eyes. "You think throw around a bit of fire will do anything. You''re a kid and I''m not dragging you with me out there. Look, I''ll bump it up to 25% since I am following you about, but that''s it."

    Ember narrowed her eyes. "Do you think I''m a fool? I can help you find mist ferrets and Shatterings. The sort of animals, monster hunters search years for. And depending on the location, I could probably hunt them myself."

    Justine scoffed. "Knowing the location is separate from actually being able to catch them. Nor does it mean that there won''t be other dangers in the vicinity. Still, I''ll give you that they are hard to find so 30%."

    Ember considered and then a new thought came to mind. "Make it 50 and not only will you get my map abilities for monster hunting but they''ll be exclusive to you for a month."

    Justin''s eyes widened. "Damn it. Give me six months exclusive."

    Ember grinned. "Deal."

    Justine groaned. "Why do I feel like you just conned me?"

    "It''ll pass." She paused. "It''s the least you could do for stalking me."

    "Your words are harsh," Justine said before settling down for the night.

    "It''s the truth." Ember held back a yawn. "Do you mind if I take second watch?"

    Justine blinked. "There''s no need for that. Just sleep. I''ll keep watch."

    Ember frowned. "Then when will you sleep?"

    "Daybreak. I don''t need much sleep, just a few hours. Us Night Orcs prefer the night."

    It would mean getting on the road later but they could probably make it up if they road hard. Ember stifled another yawn. She nodded.

    "All right. Then wake me at daybreak."

    She snuggled down on the ground with a blanket. She didn''t feel as wary about Justine. It wasn''t likely the woman would try to hurt her given her demeanor, especially now that Ember was offering her a service that only she could provide.

    She could try kidnapping me.

    Ember shooed that thought away. She knew she was being a bit paranoid. Up to this point, Justine had only helped her. For now, she could give her the benefit of the doubt. Still, she wondered why the Akashic Tree had given her that quest. She frowned. It really was strange. She didn''t have a quest but her looping and curse might be tied to everything.

    She hated the idea of being manipulated by some outside forces and it was clear that she was based on her encounter with Bird. But everything was so vague. Why after going through two loops was, she only now encountering Bird and quests.

    She couldn''t figure it out. She had theories but nothing substantial. She needed to find clues. The first way to do that was to visit Hekral and speak with someone from the Order there. There was also Patricia. Depending on what her Oracle ability does, she might be able to provide Ember with some clues.

    Ember felt her eyes drift close. There were so many things she needed to do. Find a safe place and secure it from her family. She was still interested in building her own kingdom but exactly how was a different story. She would need to regain her powers and possibly switch out abilities. She needed to find a way to free her father and get rid of Lord Felis for go without getting her family killed in the process.

    She sighed. Her thoughts swirled around her until she found herself thrown into a fitful sleep. Then she was once again in a moonlit valley with small blue lights dancing around her. The Akashic Tree stood proudly in front of her, its multitude of colored leaves dances in the wind.

    "Why am I here again?" Ember wondered.

    She took a cautious step towards the tree and as she did the tree began to rock and with it the entire land shook. Ember fell to the ground, unable to keep her balance. She looked around her as the ground cracked around her. She scrambled to her feet but as she did the shaking stopped.

    Then a leaf feel, then another and another. She reached out to touch it. As soon as her finger touched the leaf it crumbled. Then more and more of the leaves around her crumbled. She looked around her with fear and it dawned on her. This was because of her. It was her fault.

    She shook her head in denial but the feeling spread through her like an undeniable truth. She was causing this.

    "Please! Stop!"

    Ember''s eyes snapped open. It was just a dream. Her mind began to clear only for her to suck in a breath. Something was on her arm. She stared. it took a moment for her to realize what she was looking at.

    A butterfly the size of her fist was resting on her arm. Its wings were like stained glass and shone in the darkness. Ember wasn''t sure whether to move or not. Then the butterfly flapped its wings and flew into the air. A trail of glowing dust flew through the air and as it did a calm washed over her.

    Ember slowly sat up and as she did she saw that it wasn''t the only Glass Butterfly. There were at least twenty of them of various colors flapping their stained-glass looking wings around them. It was a beautiful spectacle that eased away the traces of her nightmare. She glanced around and caught sight of Justine. The woman was looking at the butterflies with awe on her face.

    Ember turned away and continued to watched the butterflies flutter around, spreading their calming dust. Sometimes, she forgot that beautiful things like this existed in this world. She had always been so lost in the blood and anger that she missed out on the beauty.

    For the next hour, she and Justine simply sat and watched the glass butterflies dance until finally they flew back into the woods once more. Ember laid back down and this time when she drifted into sleep there were no nightmares.

 32 - Reunion

    It took them three days to catch up with the delegation. During that time, she and Justine made plans for their arrival to Hekral. Mostly, it came down to living arrangements and protection. They agreed that Justine would come stay with her and her family and in exchange she would guard her mother and brother when she wasn''t out hunting. It had the added benefit that Justine could stay close to Ember in case this new path the Akashic Tree had promised her open up.

    "Couldn''t the new path be that you have become a Monster Hunter," Ember pointed out.

    Justine shook her head. "That''s a return to an old path. I used to be one before settling in Goros."

    Ember found herself curious about that. "Why Goros?"

    Justine shrugged. "It was where I ended up after I cleared my head. I ended up sticking around."

    Ember figured there was more to the story but the woman didn''t seem incline to say more than that. Ember decided not to probe. Everyone had their secrets. Which brought her to her own.

    "When we get to the delegation don''t let on that I''m a Seedling, not even to my family."

    Justine cocked an eyebrow. "Your family doesn''t know? Why the hell not?"

    Ember opened her mouth and then closed it. Honestly, she didn''t have a reason not to tell them. Not anymore. They were out of Goros and though that didn''t make them completely safe it was safe enough. She already decided to register as a Seedling as soon as the opportunity arose. It would help her in the long run. So why not just tell her family?

    Her lips twisted. "I''ll tell them when we''re in Hekral."

    Justine gave her a questioning look but didn''t say anything else on the subject.

    It was another couple of hours when they saw their first sign of the delegation. Two acolytes were scouting down the road and when they saw them, they hurried over. As the moved closer, Justine''s hand went to a hatchet at her waist.

    The acolytes slowed down. "Maiden Ember! Are you alright?"

    "It''s fine," Ember whispered to Justine. She recognized the two men.

    Justine nodded and brought the horse to a stop.

    Ember climbed off the horse and smiled at the pair. "I''m fine. Justine helped me," she said, gesturing to the woman. "What are you two doing out here? Why are you with the others?"

    The men shared a look before one spoke up. "Oracle Patricia said you would be arriving."

    Ember blinked. She hadn''t been expecting that answer. "She did?"

    They both nodded.

    "It seems your path must be tied to Oracle Patricia," one of the acolytes said brightly. "She has had multiple visions about you."

    Ember shifted uncomfortably. She didn''t like the sound of that. Justine and now Patricia. What was actually going on? It was clear the Akashic Tree wanted something from her but she wasn''t sure what. No, that wasn''t completely true. She had an inkling of what it was tied to.

    The Shade.

    The Shade wasn''t due to arrive for at least a good 10 years. As much as she wanted to avoid them, there was no ignoring the Shade, especially as a Seedling. Still, while in the past, she had done her fighting against the Shade, she hadn''t been one of the big players. Why spend attention to her? If anything, Knight Vantosia should be the focus.

    She grimaced. Of course, she was not taking into account that the Akashic Tree knew she was time traveling and possibly had a hand in it.

    "Are you sure you are alright, Maiden Ember?" One of the acolytes questioned, giving her a worry look.

    "As fine as I can be," she said and then quickly changed the subject. "How is my mother and brother?"

    They began walking back the road from where the acolytes came from. Justine walked with them, having dismounted from her horse to follow along. She was quieter than she usually was but Ember was too focused on getting information about what to expect when she reached camp.

    "They were worried. They...weren''t as confident in the Oracle''s words despite our reassurance."

    Ember winced. She could imagine. A hint of guilt covered her imagining what her mother had been going through this week. For her husband is locked up and then her daughter goes missing after an attack on the acolytes.

    "She thought you were kidnapped," the other acolyte added, looking at her curiously.

    Ember''s guilt grew but she swallowed it down. "Patricia didn''t tell her where I went?"

    The acolyte shook his head. "She only said you would return. Maiden Ember, what happened to you?"

    The dreaded question had been asked. Ember''s first inclination was to lie. Even the thought of telling them the truth made her stomach twist. Still, she didn''t feel quite right about it, so instead she decided deflection was her best option.

    "It''s best I talk to my mother first."

    The acolytes nodded solemnly and she got the idea that horrible imaginations must''ve been going through their minds.

    I hope I didn''t make things worse.

    As soon as they were in sight of the wagons, two small figures darted towards her. Halfway to her, one of the figures turned around and abruptly ran back to the camp. Ember blinked, not sure how to take that.

    "Ember!" Patricia said with a wide grin. "You''re back."

    Ember smiled at the girl. "I am but I heard you already knew that."

    Patricia flushed and then nodded. "I did but...it''s different from seeing it happen in front of me."

    Ember couldn''t help glancing back at the camp.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "Rowan went to get your mother," Patricia said, calmly.

    Ember turned back to the girl. Patricia seemed different. While she wasn''t bursting with confidence, her words were less hesitant.

    "Thank you," Ember said.

    Patricia''s eyes widened and then she quickly looked down. "I didn''t do anything."

    "You waited for me," she nodded to the acolytes. "And sent them for me."

    Patricia frowned. "I should''ve done more."

    Ember blinked at that answer but was distracted by a voice.

    "Ember!"

    Ember looked up and she saw her mother. Her hand went to her mouth as if she was physically holding back a cry. Rowan stood awkwardly by her mother''s side, looking at her and then looking away.

    A wave of relief went through Ember at the sight of her mother and before she knew it, she was running. She didn''t stop until she was in her mother''s arms. The warm embraced seemed to break a dam inside her and before she knew it tears were streaking down her cheek.

    When Ember finally calmed down, they had moved to one of the wagons. Surprisingly, they were alone. It was clear that the rest of the delegation had decided to give them space. She couldn''t help glancing around for Justine. She spotted the woman talking with one of the acolytes. She was in-sight but far enough away so she wasn''t in listening distance.

    "Are you okay?" her mother asked, worried filling her voice. "Can you tell me what happened?"

    Ember opened her mouth and then shut it. She wasn''t sure what to say but then Rowan said it for her.

    "You went back, didn''t you?" Rowan asked, his eyes narrowing. "You went to save Dad."

    The denial got stuck in her throat and she simply nodded.

    "Stupid," her brother said.

    "Rowan!" Her mother said sharply, but there was confusion in her eyes. "Ember, what does that mean? Weren''t you kidnapped by Welks?"

    Ember blinked. "Welks?"

    Her mother nodded. "Knight Vantosia found his body in the woods. I thought..."

    Ember didn''t want to imagine what her mother must''ve thought. "I met Welks. He tried to take me but I got away."

    Her mother looked both relieved and confused. "Why didn''t you come back to the camp?"

    Ember swallowed. "I-I wanted to save Dad." Then she felt her words flowing from her mouth before she could stop them. "I stole a box from Myron. It wasn''t the same as the bag they used to frame Dad, but maybe if I hadn''t taken it then they wouldn''t have had a way to blame him. It''s my fault Dad is locked up back there."

    Her mother stared at Ember in shock. "You stole a box from Myron?"

    Ember nodded.

    Her mother frowned and leaned forward.

    Ember flinched.

    She expected a smack or something but instead her mother pulled her back into her arms.

    "It''s not your fault, Ember. That man was searching for any way to keep us there. Like you said, it wasn''t even the box you took. Don''t blame yourself for the evils of others."

    Ember felt tears brimming in her eyes but she managed to hold them back. "I''m sorry."

    "You should be," her mother said, pulling her back so she could see her. "You ran off without a word and put yourself in danger. What were you thinking?"

    Ember hesitated and looked around to make sure no one was listening, before lowering her voice. "Mom, I''m a Seedling."

    Surprise spread across her mother''s face, followed by a pensive look, and then her mother nodded.

    "Is that why you gave your Blessing to Patricia?"

    Ember nodded. "Yes. I was already a Seedling at that time. Priest Beslen already knows but we can''t tell anyone else."

    Her mother nodded. "Lord Felis would try to use it as leverage."

    Ember felt relief at her mother''s quick agreement.

    "How long have you been a Seedling," her mother asked curious. "And why did you steal from Myron? That was dangerous."

    Ember could see a flood of questions rising to her mother''s lip but before she could go further, Justine walked over, interrupting them.

    "Sorry, but Knight Tight-Ass wants to see you. I could only hold him off for so long."

    Her mother glared at Justine.

    "I''ll go." She paused. "Mom, Justine saved my life."

    She then hurried away from the two women, hooping her words would diffuse the tension between the two women.

    It didn''t take her long to find Knight Vantosia. He stood near the treeline, further away from the camp. He wasn''t alone. Priest Beslen was with him. As soon as he saw her, he turned and walked into the woods, Priest Beslen gestured for her to follow before stepping into the woods as well.

    Ember swallowed down her trepidation and stepped into the forest. The two men led her deeper into the woods but not too far. It was just enough to give them some privacy.

    "You''re a Seedling," Knight Vantosia stated, his eyes glowing slightly.

    Ember said nothing. She would be a fool to do so.

    Knight Vantosia frowned. "You killed Welks."

    Again, she said nothing.

    The knight rubbed his forehead.

    "You can keep your secrets, Maiden Ember. It''s clear you have many but I need to know if you killed Welks otherwise I''ll march us right back to Goros."

    Ember bit her lip, struggling to decide what to say. She couldn''t afford for her mother and brother to return back there.

    "Yes, I killed him," she tilted her head up. "He attacked me. I think he was planning to kidnap and torture me."

    Knight Vantosia frowned. "How did you kill him?"

    She glanced at Priest Beslen. The man shrugged, looking way too calm despite the conversation.

    "I used my soul weapon."

    "Is that it?"

    Ember remained quiet.

    The knight sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Until we reach Hekral, you are to remain within sight of Knight Garrick or myself. Do you understand?"

    "Include me as well," Priest Beslen pipped in.

    Knight Vantosia frowned but nodded. "Or Priest Beslen."

    Ember nodded. "I understand."

    "Good." He abruptly turned and began heading back to the camp.

    "Knight Vantosia, we''ll be right behind you. Just give us a moment."

    The knight didn''t pause and only kept walking.

    Ember frowned and looked at the priest. "Did you tell him about me?"

    The priest folded his arms. "I didn''t need to when you left clues everywhere. You really need to hide better if you want to keep everything secret."

    Ember flushed but nodded, relieved that the priest hadn''t betrayed her. "I don''t want to keep it a secret anymore."

    "Oh?" The priest asked, curious.

    Ember nodded. "I want to register once we get to Hekral. Can you help me?"

    Priest Beslen looked thoughtful. "I might be able to pull some strings."

    "Thank you," Ember said.

    "Don''t thank me yet. You''ll have to do me a favor."

    Ember sighed. "Another one?"

    The priest grinned. "This one should be easy. While Oracle Patricia is in Hekral I want you to accompany her."

    "If you''re asking me to be her personal acolyte then I''m going to have to say no. I have other plans."

    "While that would be interesting that isn''t my goal," the priest said. "Just accompany her in your free time. At the least a few hours a week."

    Ember frowned. "Why?"

    "Because it would make her happy," Priest Beslen said.

    Ember couldn''t help feeling suspicious but she nodded. "Fine." She was planning to spend time with Patricia anyway so if her agreement would help her register without any problems it was an easy yes.

    The priest smiled widely and then he turned and began leading them out of the woods. "So it looks like you picked up company during your adventure."

    Ember nodded. "She saved me when I was injured."

    "And can she be trusted."

    Ember turned over the question before nodding. "Yes."

    "Good." They stepped out of the forest and as they did, Priest Beslen turned to face her, gripping her shoulders. "Now, don''t run off again like that. There were a lot of people worried about you."

    Ember was about to say something flippant when she noticed the man''s face. Despite his nonchalant appearance there was genuine concern underneath.

    "I won''t."

    He nodded and stood beside her.

    "Aren''t you going to go back to camp?"

    "After you," the priest said and waved his hand.

    Ember realized the priest hadn''t been bluffing when he said he would watch her. She sighed. it was going to be a long journey to Hekral.

 33 - Welcome to Hekral

    It took them ten days to make it to Hekral. During that time, Ember found herself under constant surveillance. It meant that doing magic was pretty much out of the question. She was sure that Knight Vantosia suspected she was a Seedling but he didn''t try to question her about it since their initial conversation.

    Since she was planning to register anyway with Priest Beslen''s help she could show her abilities but when she registered it would show that her ability was Finder''s Keepers and she had no intention of advertising that she could take other people''s abilities. It meant that when she was officially determined to be a Seedling that she either could only use her mapping skill or she found a way to make it look like she had other official abilities.

    The second option would be the best one. But how to do that without letting on that she could steal abilities? The best way to do it would be to get the Inspect ability. The Inspect ability could not only inspect people and objects but could also hide those values. Sadly, the ability she stole from Lord Felis had already reverted back to him.

    She could steal it again but unless she planned to hide him hostage and take the ability from him every two days that wouldn''t work. The problem was meeting the requirements. It was clear to her that Inspect was a Mind focused ability. She had two lifetimes of knowledge, three including her life back on Earth. Still, either she was missing some key requirement of the mind or she needed to wait until she hit a certain level of brain development which would only come with age.

    Neither option was particularly appealing but she had little choice in the matter. Though she might be able to fudge things a little. What if she said a curse was holding her abilities back? She had a curse in her eyes so that would be its own proof. So if she showed the ability was there but somehow limited by the curse and prevented it from being seen.

    She grinned. That would definitely work. She frowned. Would it hold up to a closer inspection though. There might be some people who might connect the dots. She could run it pass Priest Beslen but that would entail telling him her secret and he already had enough information on her. Perhaps she could find someone with the Oath ability.

    "You sure are making a lot of faces," Justine said, interrupting her thoughts. "What''s going through that little head of yours?"

    "I need to train," Ember said and then glanced towards the gate. "And I''m wondering why it''s taking so long to get into the city."

    They had been standing outside the gates for going on thirty minutes. When they arrived, they were told to wait and then the guard caught sight of the knight and hurried away only to come back with another guard. The guards had spoken to the knights in hushed tones before the knights and the guards hurried past the gates, leaving them outside it.

    Justine eyed the gate. "We could sneak in."

    Ember raised an eyebrow. "You''re being a bad influence."

    Justine shrugged. "You''ve broken many laws already. What''s one more?"

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Ember said with a sniff.

    "What are you two talking about?" Patricia asked as she walked over to them. During their wait, Patricia has been in talks with Priest Beslen to help prepare her for her arrival at the temple.

    While Hekral wasn''t as big as the capital, it a popular site because to the temple situation with it. The Hekral temple was known for its research in everything related to the Akashic Tree and was said to have more books and scrolls than even the Order''s library in the Capital. The Uniar Noble Family were known for being devout, even to the point that every generation one of their lineage would enter the Order. That was until Count Alton Uniar put himself in seclusion and the family eventually fell apart.

    Ember frowned. Didn''t some event happen to cause that?

    "That sneaky Priest is coming," Justine said, nodding in Priest Beslen''s direction.

    "He''s not so bad," Patricia said, coming quickly to his defense.

    "Oh? Are you so sure about that?" Justine asked.

    Patricia shrunk a little into herself as the older woman''s attention.

    "Stop bullying her," Ember said. "Or I''ll tell the acolytes."

    "Oh! You finally decided to rejoin the conversation," Justine said.

    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Ember said, slightly annoyed.

    "You went off into that head of yours again, staring blankly into the void," Justine said with a sigh, shaking her head.

    "I did not."

    "You did. Ask that friend of yours. She asked you several questions and you didn''t respond at all."

    Ember frowned and then looked at Patricia.

    Patricia peeked at her and then looked down. "It''s not your fault. You probably just have a lot on your mind."

    Ember''s eyes widened. Did she really tune out without realizing it? That wasn''t good. Just how often had she been doing it. It worried her.

    Ember bit her lip and turned to Patricia. "If that happens again, can you please point it out to me?"

    Patricia nodded and gave Ember a shy smile.

    Ember smiled back before turning back to Justine. "You too."

    "Sure thing and on that note I''m going to be somewhere else," Justine said and hurried away just as Priest Beslen arrived.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "I get the feeling that your guard doesn''t like me," Priest Beslen said in amusement.

    "Did something happen between you two?" Ember asked. Justine didn''t seem the sort to avoid someone. She seemed to prefer to go head first into confrontation.

    Priest Beslen looked thoughtful. "Maybe...but in any case, we have been approved to pass through the gates. Once inside, we''ll be heading straight to the Temple. You and your family are allowed to stay there temporarily if you like. In fact, I suggest it. I''m sure it''ll ease Oracle Patricia''s mind if you do."

    Patricia looked at Ember with her eyes shining with hope.

    Ember sighed. "Of course but shouldn''t this be a conversation you should be having with my mother."

    "I already did. She agreed though she said you might already have arrangements with your teacher," Priest Beslen asked, a question heavy in his tone.

    She knew that her identity of Bloom Larisel would come into play soon. Of course, she had no intention of letting her ''teacher'' meet with the priest. He might not have the Truth ability but he was far too clever for her to try to trick with her illusions.

    "I''ll speak with her and find out," Ember said, smoothly. "She said she would meet us here but didn''t give us a meeting place. I assume she would find us."

    Priest Beslen nodded his head. "Hmm, then I assume she could help you register."

    Ember had to stop herself from grimacing. "I rather she didn''t. I prefer not being tied to anyone."

    Priest Beslen smiled. "How interesting. Don''t worry. I''ll keep out promise."

    "Promise?" Patricia asked, peering between the two.

    "It''s like Justine said," Ember said as she climbed out of the wagon. "He''s a sneaky one."

    Priest Beslen gave her a betrayed look as he was suddenly left with a worried and questioning Patricia.

    Ember looked around the camp, spotting Rowan and her mother. She began making her way towards them when she saw Knight Vantosia. In all likelihood, he would be leaving with Knight Garrick to return to the capital. She wasn''t sure how long they planned to rest here before departing but if she wanted to talk to him before he left, it was time she did so now.

    She headed over to him but paused when she saw Knight Garrick return to him with a serious look on his face. Knight Vantosia frowned and said something. They looked busy and she had nothing important to say, so she started to turn when Knight Vantosia spotted her.

    He said something to Knight Garrick and then waved Ember over. She made her way towards the Knight thought with some trepidation. Night Vantosia, while intimidating had been nothing but kind to her and her family, yet she couldn''t manage to get comfortable around him. She knew a very big part of it was his Truth ability. It wasn''t surprising. When a person had so many secrets, they would often be uncomfortable around a person who could reveal them all.

    "Have you decided?" The knight asked abruptly.

    "What?" Ember asked, confused.

    "So you''ve forgotten," Knight Vantosia said, looking perplexed.

    "I''m sorry, Knight Vantosia, but a lot has happened. What have I forgotten?" Ember said with all the patience she could muster.

    "I offered to train you," Knight Vantosia said. "Most people wouldn''t forget such an offer."

    Ember blinked in surprise. She honestly had forgotten about the offer and she certainly didn''t expect it to still be on the table after everything that happened. She admitted to killing Welks and though it was in self-defense she expected it probably hadn''t set right with the knight. Though he had never mentioned her being investigated or even mentioning reporting the event. Which now that she thought about might have been what should''ve been done. Why hadn''t the knight reported her? Though he might still be planning to. They were on the road so he didn''t have an opportunity. But if he planned to do so why was he asking her to train with him?

    "I-I''m not sure," she hedged. "I''m supposed to study under a mage in Hekral and meet with the Order about my eye. I can''t leave for the capital with you."

    She did have plans to go to the Capital eventually, but she wanted to get her father first. Going to the Capital now would just feel like she was abandoning him to his fate.

    "That''s not a problem," Knight Vantosia stated. "I''ll be stay in Hekral for a while so I''ll train you in the meantime. We can revisit you coming to the capital when the time for me to leave has been decided."

    Ember was bewildered. Knight Vantosia was staying? But why? She was pretty sure that he was under one of the princes and while he wasn''t the highest in rank he was moving in that direction. A knight that could see through lies was a vital piece, unless that was the issue.

    Was Knight Vantosia banished here? Did he make someone angry enough to send him away. It was probably a temporary measure but that sounded like it might be it. Why else would such an important knight be escorting a Choosing delegation. Sure, Choosing delegations were important but in most cases it was the lower ranks duty.

    "Maiden Ember?"

    She must have blanked out again. Before she made a decision, she needed to know something. "Why are you so set on training me?"

    While she appreciated the offer, she didn''t think she deserved the level of persistence that Knight Vantosia was showing. There had to be a reason. Of course, as a commoner she should be thanking the knight profusely for the offer instead of questioning it.

    Instead of being annoyed with her question, Knight Vantosia seemed to think carefully about her question before answering it. "I want to see it."

    "See it?"

    Knight Vantosia nodded his head. "I could say you have potential but it is more than that. Most of your skill I have only heard of after the fact. I only have seen you wield your blade when you practice in the morning."

    Ember''s eyes widened. She hadn''t realized he had seen her practice. She would sneak off into the woods early in the morning to practice with Mally. She was just glad she decided to hold off on using magic since she didn''t want to alarm anyone if it triggered their magic sensitivity.

    "When I saw you practice, it was like seeing a person who had seen many battles. At least more than a 12-year-old girl in a small village could''ve seen."

    Ember stiffened but calm herself. It wasn''t like he actually knew she was reliving her life.

    "I don''t understand it but I want to see it. See just how far you will go."

    Ember stared. She wasn''t sure what to say to that. A rush of feelings went through her. Guilt because the potential he saw was just experience from an old lifetime, but more than that was this feeling she couldn''t explain. A feeling of someone actually looking at her and seeing a future for her beyond her circumstance. It was that feeling that made her speak.

    "All right but only if you train Rowan with me."

    Knight Vantosia''s hard expression shifted a little and there was amusement in his eyes. "I offer an opportunity and you demand more." He nodded. "Agreed. Speak with your teacher so we can arrange a time for you to start training. I will talk to your mother and Rowan about the rest."

    Ember nodded. She wondered if that was the right decision, tying herself to someone who could discover her weakness but she shoved such thoughts away. It would be good practice, beside she needed to get stronger to unlock several of her abilities.

    As she turned to thank Knight Vantosia and return to her family there was a loud commotion at the gates. Then a beautiful girl in acolyte robes rushed towards them. Behind her a rumpled servant followed, pleading for her to return.

    The girl made her way straight to Knight Vantosia. her face flush and a desperate look on her face. "Please! You have to save her. I-I-" She burst out crying.

    Ember looked at her stunned and then she remembered. Count Alton Uniar went into seclusion in a grief that never lifted after his beloved daughter went missing and a month later was found dead in the middle of the town square.

    It looked like she had walked right into the midst of it.

 34 - A Missing Girl

    As the girl cried with uncontrollable sobs the servant reached her and tried calming the girl down. Knight Vantosia stood there as if he wasn''t sure what to do with the woman before speaking.

    "What is exactly is she talking about?" he said, directing his question to the servant.

    "I apologize, Sir Knight," the servant said, bowing. "My Lady is distressed after the disappearance of her friend."

    "Lady?" Ember asked in surprise, drawing unwanted attention to herself.

    The girl raised her head, managing to stifle her cries. She gave Ember a curious look before her attention shifted back to Lord Vantosia.

    "I''m sorry for not introducing myself but..." Her face crumpled up and it looked like she would fall into tears again before she managed to calm herself. "I''m Lady Allyana Uniar and my friend, Meri, has been missing for 3 days. Please, can you help me find her?"

    Ember felt a moment of surprise. She was Lady Uniar. Either she was a different girl from the Lady Uniar who went missing or the event hadn''t happened yet. Did that mean there had been another girl who went missing before Lady Uniar? It was possible. Since Allyana had mentioned that girl''s name as simply Meri it meant she was a commoner and likely didn''t gain the same amount of attention a noble had during her disappearance.

    "Have you spoken with the guard?" Knight Vantosia asked.

    Lady Allyana frowned and nodded. "They said they are looking, but..." She shook her head. "They haven''t found anything. I just..." Her big blue eyes looked up at Knight Vantosia with a plead in their depths. "You''re the Knight of Truth. You would be able to find something, wouldn''t you?"

    Before he could answer, a clear voice cut through the air. "Allyana! I told you not to get yourself involve in this matter."

    Everyone''s attention turned to the gates as a tall man stepped forward. He was dressed in modest fashion but despite that his clothes spoke of wealth. He had a neat beard that was peppered in gray. His hair was a dark blond that matched the girl besides them.

    Immediately, the servant bowed confirming who the man was. "Lord Uniar."

    A stubborn look came over Lady Allyana''s tear-streaked face. "Do you expect me to do nothing?"

    The Count strode towards them. "That''s exactly what I expect of you. Let the guards do their job. Your interference will only delay them."

    Lady Allyana flushed. "I''m trying to help!"

    Count Uniar reached his daughter. "I understand that you are worried for your friend, Allyana," her father said, his expression growing gentle. "But if you distract the guards, it will only delay things further."

    "But...what if they-" She stopped and it was clear she was struggling to calm herself.

    Even so, it seemed like the Count understood her worries. "I will check in with the guards personally. For now, return back with Denis."

    Lady Allyana seemed to wilted but, in the end, she nodded and went with the servant. As soon as she stepped back through the city gates, the Count turned to Knight Vantosia.

    "Knight Vantosia, I presume?"

    Knight Vantosia gave the man a respectful nod but didn''t bow since he was a noble himself. "Yes. Greetings to you, Count Uniar."

    The Count nodded and his attention turned surprisingly to Ember. "And who is this?"

    Ember immediately bowed. "Honored Greetings, my Lord."

    "Oh! She has manners."

    Ember raised form her bow to see the Count had a pleased smile on his face before his attention turned back to Knight Vantosia.

    "She is Maiden Ember, a prospective squire."

    The Count made a soft hum of interest, his eyes turning back to her for a moment before he returned his focus on Knight Vantosia. "If we can speak for a moment."

    "Of course," Knight Vantosia said turned to Ember. "I will call for you tomorrow."

    Ember nodded and hurried away. She had planned to go to her family but after what just happened, she ended up going in search of Priest Beslen. After some searching, she found the priest giving orders to the acolytes and directing them as they did their checks with the soldiers at the gate.

    Ember had no qualms interrupting him. "Priest Beslen I need your help."

    The priest gave Ember a placating smile. "I would love to help you but as you can see I''m in the middle of something."

    "It''s important," Ember insisted. "And time is of the essence."

    Priest Beslen looked at her as if he wasn''t sure whether to believe her. Ember might have gathered the priest''s attention but she knew he couldn''t help thinking of her as simply a 12-year-old girl. Perhaps an unusual 12-year-old but still a child.

    She thought the man was going to ignore her request but finally he shrugged and gestured for an acolyte to take his place. "I will give you a few minutes."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "We need to go somewhere others can''t see," Ember stated.

    Priest Beslen raised his eyebrow in surprise and then looked around. He then gestured for Ember to follow and they moved further from the group and near one of the pillars of the gate. Moving behind it didn''t completely block the from sight but it gave Ember enough coverage to do what she needed.

    "What is it?" Priest Beslen asked, obvious curiosity on his face.

    "Finder," she said, ignoring her trepidation. The map popped up in front of them unfurling.

    Priest Beslen''s eyes widened in surprise. "Your ability?"

    She nodded. "This map can help me find things, including people. Though I have to be very specific." She met the priest''s eyes. "There is a girl who has gone missing. I want to help find her."

    Priest Beslen''s eyes grew knowing. "But you don''t want others to know about your ability."

    She nodded. "Not until I''m registered and even then not publicly. It is not a flashy ability but I have no intention of becoming a slave to some noble."

    "You could join the Order," Priest Beslen stated.

    She met his eyes. "That''s not a good idea." She glanced back at the map. "Besides that, if criminals knew I could find people for the guards then I would become a target, so I would like to hide my ability until I could assure I was protected."

    "Then wouldn''t it be better to find a noble to protect you?" Priest Beslen said. "Not all of them are like Lord Felis."

    "But a lot of them are and I don''t have the pull or time to shift through them all at the moment," Ember cut in. "A girl''s life is on the line. Can you help me?"

    Priest Beslen looked thoughtful and then slowly nodded. "I''ll help you but I can''t make any guarantees about the aftermath. There will be questions."

    Basically, she would be opening a Pandora''s box by going down this road. She nodded. "I understand. Just don''t reveal my identity." She closed Finder. "I''ll need the girl''s parent''s name and whether she is from here or somewhere else. I also need confirmation of her name. It had to be her real name and not a nickname. From there, we''ll need a private location where people won''t realize you are working with me."

    "That''s certainly a lot but I''ll handle it. In the meantime, you should return to your family," Priest Beslen said and gave her an amused look. "You certainly are one of the strangest girl I''ve met."

    Ember didn''t comment on that. She knew she didn''t act like a regular 12-year-old and she didn''t feel the need to. It wasn''t like possession existed in this world, so all people would think was she was strange. She could live with that.

    "Thank you," Ember said and then she hurried away to meet up with her family, but she didn''t get far before Justine appeared next to her.

    Ember blinked in surprise. "Where did you come from?"

    "I saw you sneaking off with that priest," Justine said. "Had to make sure he wasn''t up to something."

    Ember made a face at the implication. "I''m 12 and he like twenty or something."

    "He''s nineteen. It''s not a big age difference."

    "Like hell it isn''t," Ember said, her face twisting.

    She never could get used to the lax age limit in this world. It was simply creepy and inappropriate in her eyes. But it did remind her that she should be careful. Priest in this world weren''t banned from having relationships. It was actually encouraged because of the limitations of the Treaty of Brotherhood. It was a way for the Priest to gain more Seedlings without waiting to gain them through the Choosing.

    "So what were you talking about with him."

    "I''ll tell you later," Ember said. "I''m going to need your help."

    Justine would be the best person to get involved since she was the one person who knew the most about her abilities or the portions she had revealed.

    "Sounds like it''ll be exciting," Justine said with a grin.

    "Hopefully not too exciting," Ember mumbled but even as she said it, she felt a thrill go through her.

    She could''ve just left the situation alone. There was no need to get involved. And while she did have some pity for the missing girl it didn''t involve her. But this was an opportunity. At some point, Lady Uniar would be kidnapped and if things went like before she would be killed. If Ember could stop that from happening then she could earn a favor from the Count, a favor she desperately needed.

    Still, she would have to do it without looking suspicious or gaining the attention of the kidnapper. If the kidnapper discovered her ability, they would likely kill Lady Allyana right away or flee. She would need to do this very carefully.

    A new thought entered her head. She could end up preventing the kidnapping all together. For a moment, she felt unsure. If she did that then she wouldn''t gain the Count''s attention because Allyana was never in danger. That would defeat the purpose of getting involved.

    She felt a twinge of guilt. She shook her head. That was an issue she would consider later. Right now, unless she had a person''s name or ability, she wouldn''t be able to find them. So just looking for kidnapper or murderer wouldn''t work on Finder. So as long as the kidnapper still at least attempted to take Lady Allyana, even if she prevented it she could still garner the favor she was after.

    Lost in her thoughts, it took her a while to see that she had reached her family.

    "Welcome back," Justine said with a grin as Ember''s eyes refocused on her.

    "I did it again, didn''t I?" Ember said.

    "Yup."

    Ember''s mother looked worried. "Are you alright, Ember?"

    Was she? She didn''t remember this being a habit in her past lives. Unless it was and no one had the courage to point it out before. "I''m fine, Mom. Priest Beslen said we might be going to the temple?"

    Her mother nodded. "I know your teacher said she would provide us a temporary place to live but I think it would be better if we all found out own place. We''ll stay in the Temple until then."

    Ember figured her mother was still wary because supposedly Bloom Larisel worked for a noble. After Lord Felis, it was not a surprise that she was cautious. It wasn''t a mistake that her mother said all, meaning she was including Ember. Ember was fine with that. She wanted to be close to her family...just in case.

    Ember nodded. "Okay. I''ll let Bloom Larisel know when she comes to get me."

    "You don''t have to worry about that. I''ll speak with her on the matter."

    Ember frowned. That meant more pretending. She glanced over at Rowan who was frowning. It was clear her brother wasn''t happy that she was still pretending.

    Distraction time!

    "I actually needed to talk to my teacher about our lessons. Knight Vantosia offered to teach me and Rowan, so I was going to get her permission."

    "He did?" Her mother asked with a frown.

    "I''m going to be a knight!" Rowan said, his eyes wide and then he was turning to mom with excitment on his face. "Please, Mom! You have to say yes. Please, please, please."

    Her mother looked conflicted.

    "He didn''t say we''ll be knights," Ember pointed out. "Just that he''ll train us for now. He told me he would talk to you first."

    That seemed to ease her mother but she still didn''t seem completely sure.

    Her mother looked at Rowan who was staring at her with pleading eyes. "I-I''ll think about it."

    Rowan grinned. "Yes!" Then he practically danced in place.

    Ember couldn''t help smiling.

    Her mother sighed. "Now enough of that. The acolytes are almost through the gate. Time to get going."

    Ember and Rowan nodded and they began gathering up, helping out as they stepped into Hekral and the first step into a new life.

 35 - The First Steps

    When they arrived at the temple, they were set up in a modest room that looked like a spartan dorm room. The priest that helped them stated that Rowan could share a room with one of the acolytes. Their mother quickly declined, insisting that Rowan shared the room with us. The priest seemed surprised by this but eventually reluctantly agree before leaving.

    Ember could see that Rowan wanted to protest but he kept his mouth closed. She gathered he was trying to be on his best behavior so their mother would allow him to train with Knight Vantosia.

    Ember had just been glad that the priest left. He couldn''t stop sneaking glances at her eye. She got the feeling if he could pluck her eye out and study it, he would.

    They were only getting settled in when a different acolyte knocked on the door. This one she recognized as one that had traveled with them.

    "Priest Beslen needs to speak with Maiden Ember. He has asked me to escort you."

    Ember expected the call to come though probably not as swiftly as it did. She paused and turned to her mother and Rowan. This was as good a time as any to start the process of coming clean.

    "Can you come with me?" she asked.

    Her mother tilted her head. "Is something wrong?" She gave a quick glance to the acolyte and then back at Ember.

    Ember shook her head. "No, but there''s more I need to explain. It''s tied to why Priest Beslen is calling me."

    Her mother frowned but nodded. Rowan had already scrambled to the door. The acolyte didn''t say anything more, instead he led them down the hall to an empty room. A few moments later Priest Beslen arrived.

    He looked curious at seeing that Rowan and their mother were there but looked at Ember.

    "We have a lot to discuss."

    "I know," Ember said. "They should hear it as well."

    Priest Beslen gave her a pleased smile. "Good. You are much too young to be trying to do everything on your own."

    He nodded politely at her mother. "Matron Camila, there is much I need to discuss in regards to your daughter."

    "I''m starting to realize that. What is going on?" Her mother said and there was a hint of anger in her voice.

    Ember knew her mother wasn''t going to appreciate that she had hidden so many things from her. She quickly spoke. "You know how I told you I was a Seedling. I''m sorry I haven''t told you more but I was afraid of people knowing before I was registered. I didn''t want Lord Felis to force me to be bound to him."

    Her mother''s expression relaxed a little but her frowned deepened. "I understand that, Ember. But why didn''t you come to me and your father?"

    "I was afraid," Ember answered. "I was scared if I was found out Lord Felis would come for you and Dad."

    Her mother''s lips tightened and then she sighed. She walked over to Ember and took her hands. "Ember. I understand you want to protect us but we want to protect you just as much. I can''t do that if you hide things from me. Next time, try trusting in us. We''re not so weak that we will let you suffer alone."

    "I know you''re not weak," Ember said quickly. "It''s just..." She couldn''t say more because in the end she had thought them too weak. And even though she knew her mother was a strong woman her deaths in her past life still hung in front of her.

    "I''ll try to be better," Ember said.

    Her mother squeezed her hand before turning her attention to Priest Beslen. "Did you awaken her?"

    Priest Beslen shook his head. "No. Your daughter states it was a priest of undetermined origin that awoken her."

    Her mother looked at him, confused. "Then what is your involvement in this?"

    "He is going to help me register legally. Once I''m registered then I no longer have to worry about trying to make a claim on me."

    The priest nodded. "But before that we have a more urgent matter."

    Her mother looked alarmed. "Urgent?"

    Priest Beslen raised his eyebrow and looked at Ember. "You haven''t explained anything?"

    "You moved fast," Ember said and then squared her shoulders. "Finder."

    Her mother gasped as the gold map unfurled in front of them.

    "This is my ability. It''s called Finder''s Keepers. It allows me to find almost anything on the map with some parameters."

    "It was an ability!" Rowan said and then covered his mouth.

    Her mother spun around to stare at her son. "You knew about this?"

    Rowan raised his hand defensively. "I thought it was a magic item." He then glared at Ember. "You lied to me."

    "Sorry," Ember said. "But I told you I would tell you everything once we were out of Goros. This was part of it."

    Rowan looked like he was unsure if he believed her but he calmed down.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    "This..." Her mother said as she stared at the map. "You''re helping to find that missing girl, aren''t you?"

    Ember blinked in surprise. "Oh, you heard about that."

    "Everyone one heard," her mother said. "I just didn''t know you were going to be involved." Her mother looked conflicted.

    Ember could guess the thoughts that were going through her head. Her involvement while indirect still put her close to dangerous forces but at the same time a girl was missing and she could help. She decided not to interrupt her mother''s thoughts and instead turned to Priest Beslen.

    "Do you have her name?"

    "Maiden Meredith, daughter of Madam Lily. She is from Kinsey but has been living in Hekral for the last six months."

    Ember nodded and peered at her map. Besides the path she took from the gate to the temple, Hekral had nothing mapped. She would have to walk around the town to get the map filled up with details, still, even if she couldn''t see the details the dot should still appear on the map.

    "Finder, find Maiden Meredith of Kinsey, daughter of Madam Lily."

    A moment later a red dot appeared on the map. Ember breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it. It meant the information was accurate and more importantly that Meredith was still alive. Finder couldn''t find dead people, not even corpses. Though it could find a gravestone. It was very strange when it came to people and its restrictions. It needed at least a name or an ability to find them which was completely different when it came to items. She had always thought it strange that a corpse wasn''t consider a person or an item.

    "Maiden Ember, while it is good to see that you found her, this doesn''t give us much to go on."

    "I can lead you-"

    "Absolutely not!" Her mother said. "Just show the map to them and have them look. It should get the guard into the general vicinity."

    She knew that was possible. But... She glanced at the dot and shook her head. "That won''t work. If the guards wander around the area it''s possible the kidnapper will notice and kill her."

    Her mother''s eyes widened and she shook her head. "And if you go, they''ll notice you. You''ll be in danger. I won''t sacrifice my daughter''s life for someone''s else."

    Warmth filled Ember''s chest at her mother''s words. It felt good to be protected even if she knew she would still have to defy her.

    "There''s another way," Ember said. "I just need to fill out the map. It fills in when I go to a location."

    "That sounds even worse," her mother pointed out.

    "No, I have a plan," Ember said, quickly explaining. "Justine and I can look around near the area. We don''t have to be close, just in the general vicinity so I can have the details mapped then once we''re finished we can return and give the information to the guard or Priest Beslen could. I rather they didn''t find out I was involved until I''m registered."

    "What if you''re noticed?" Her mother shot back. "It''s dangerous."

    Ember shook her head. "If it''s just Justine and I then no one will think anything about it. It''ll just seem like we''re going for a walk around the city. We could even pretend to be looking for housing or something similar depending on the area."

    Ember could see her mother had another denial on her lips and Ember quickly grabbed her mother''s hands, squeezing them. "Please Mom. Let me do this. If it was me, I would want someone to help if they could."

    Her mother looked at her and then sighed. "Fine. You can go with Justine but I''m coming with you."

    "Mom that''s-"

    "If it''s too dangerous for me then it''s too dangerous for you."

    Ember clamped her mouth shut.

    "I want to come, too!" Rowan inserted.

    "No," Ember and her mother said in union.

    "There''s risk and unnecessary risks," her mother said. "You''ll stay here." She turned to Priest Beslen. "Since you have my daughter running around doing dangerous things I hope you will at least keep my son out of danger."

    Priest Beslen''s lips twitched. "Of course."

    Her mother glared at the priest but nodded.

    "We should send for Justine."

    There was a knock on the door and everyone stiffened. Priest Beslen hurried to the door, cracking it open and then opening it wider as a familiar figure stepped inside.

    "Justine! What are you doing here?" Ember asked, startled.

    "I was around," she said with a shrug and shut the door behind her.

    "You were eavesdropping," Ember said. "Did you follow us here?"

    Justine only grinned in answer.

    That was...alarming. It was the second, no, third time, Justine had followed her without her knowledge. Ember was starting to wonder if she had some sort of invisibility skill. She knew stealth was part of her abilities but this wasn''t like any sort of stealth she had seen. Besides, wasn''t Night Orcs abilities supposed to be weakened in the day?

    Priest Beslen looked amused. "Then should I assume that Madam Justine knows about you as well? I have to say, for a secret, there are quite a few people who know about it."

    Ember sighed. She was also starting to feel that way. "We should get going and maybe find a more secure location for the next conversation."

    "Before you go there is one more thing," Priest Beslen said. He glanced at Justine. "Can you stand guard outside? I wouldn''t want anyone else eavesdropping."

    Justine let out a huff and then left the room again, standing guard. Ember frowned. She didn''t like the idea of that since it would pretty much be a beacon that there was something secret going on but it was already too late for that. As long as she wasn''t connected to the missing case, she should be fine.

    "I wanted to talk about your registration. I have two nobles that would be willing to take you on as their Seedling. I can give you information about both for you to look over. They are willing to give you free reign but they will expect you to help them if they call on you in return."

    Ember frowned. "You didn''t mention I would have to do something like that."

    "Of course, there will be a price. The noble is essentially giving up their spot for you. It''s a small price to pay."

    Ember frowned. She didn''t like that but he was right. Noble houses were given a set number of spots they could use to awaken Seedlings beyond those that any of their direct line was afforded.

    "Can think on it?" Ember asked.

    "You can but I wouldn''t think too long. I don''t know how long your Seedling abilities would go unnoticed."

    Ember nodded. Since Hekral was one of the places a person could register it meant there were people here who could discover a person''s abilities. It would only take running into them to be found out. Besides that there was also the Thorn Knights. They had an uncanny ability to sniff out unregistered Seedlings.

    "There''s one more thing," Priest Beslen said. "I heard that Knight Vantosia is interested in training you. He also has an untaken spot. He might be willing to register you."

    Ember frowned and shook her head. "No. I don''t want to be bound to the Royal Family if I can help it and being bound to a knight is practically the same."

    "It was just a thought," Priest Beslen said. "I''ll take to you about the nobles once you''ve returned."

    Ember nodded and then turned to her mother.

    Her mother was staring at her. "You''ve grown quite a lot, Ember."

    Ember didn''t know what to say to that. While for Priest Beslen she always spoke like this but for her mother this must be jarring.

    "I have," she said.

    Her mother continued looking at her before turning to the door. Her jaw was clenched. "I suppose we should go."

    Ember wanted to say something but she had nothing to say. She was not the girl her mother remembered and she couldn''t pretend to be. She turned to the door. "Yes, we should go.

    It was better to focus on what she had to do now. Now, it was time to tour the city.

 36 - Disagreements

    As soon as the three of them left the temple, Ember looked around before moving them towards an alley.

    "Ember, what are you doing? It''s dangerous," her mother said her gaze skittering around as if she expected some burly thug to immediately assault them.

    "I''m giving us a layer of protecting," Ember said and she wrapped an illusion around them. Now they looked like three ordinary male commoners. Slightly muscular men who took on odd jobs or hauled deliveries. She figured that look would work best as a deterrent while letting them move through the city freely.

    Her mother stared at her with wide eyes. "You have another ability?"

    "She has three of them," Justine said and there was a smugness in her voice.

    Her mother glared at the other woman before turning her attention to Ember. "What is the third one?"

    Again, Justine spoke up. "Fire."

    Her mother ignored Justine though her face twitched. "And why does she know about your abilities."

    "She found out," Ember said quickly before Justine could agitate her mother further. "After Justine saved me, I tried to sneak away by using my abilities. Justine has a very good stealth ability and followed me."

    "Hey, you''re just going to tell her that?" Justine said, crossing her arms.

    "What''s wrong? I thought we were speaking for each other," Ember said, her tone laced with irritation.

    Justine grunted but didn''t say anything more.

    Her mother smirked.

    Ember had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She had never seen her mother act like this. Justine really knew how to get under her skin.

    Dismissing such thoughts, Ember called up her map. Once again, she had Finder look for the girl. The dot appeared, showing up in the same place. good, she hadn''t been moved yet. It was likely she wouldn''t be until the evening if they did plan to move her. At least she hoped so. She glanced at the sky. It was early afternoon.

    She put Finder away. "It''s this way."

    "Wait," Justine said. "Are you going to need to keep checking that map of yours?"

    Ember thought about it and nodded. "It''s the only way for me to make sure we''re in the right area."

    "Can you tone it down a bit? It''s a bit flashy."

    Ember frowned and shook her head. "I can''t."

    Justine frowned and her mother looked worry.

    "We''ll be spotted if we use it. It stands out too much."

    Ember thought about it. "We''ll have to find a location near the area as a base where I can check in with the map. Maybe there''ll will be an inn room we can rent."

    Her mother frowned and touched her hip. Ember noticed there was a slight bulge there and she realized it was probably the money she had Priest Octorin give her mother.

    "Don''t worry about it. I received a little money from Priest Octorin."

    Her mother''s expression grew relieved and then confused.

    "We should go. We don''t want to be out after dark."

    Then they started moving together with Ember taking the lead. As they moved, a part of Ember itched to take out her map. She wasn''t exactly sure how far away the dot was, only its general direction and that it was within the city grounds.

    As they moved deeper, Ember realized that it might be better for them to call a carriage. Unfortunately, a hackney service hadn''t been invited yet which meant they had to move on foot. The good thing was that it helped her fill out her map better. A carriage ride would just fill up the surface level while wandering on foot gave the details.

    Ember glanced at her mother to see how she was holding up. Her mother looked around her with a shrew eye. She mouther to herself as if she was trying to remember something. Ember frowned, not sure what was going on.

    "Mom?"

    Her mother blinked and looked at her. "Is something wrong?"

    "No..." Ember tilted her head. "What are you doing?"

    "Oh!" Her mother said and there was a faint blush on her cheek. "I was looking at the area. We''ll need to find a place to live soon so I was taking in where we should look. This area is nice but a bit higher than we could probably afford."

    "You''re house shopping in this situation?" Justine asked in disbelief.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    "I can multitask," her mother said with a huff.

    Ember didn''t say anything to either of them before spotting another alley and having them duck inside it so she could check her map. The dot still hadn''t moved. In the end they went like that for a while until Ember noticed the neighborhood growing worse. Eventually, ducking into alleys were too dangerous and the group searched for an inn. They found one right on the edge of the poorer area. It was rundown and rowdy and seemed to be the only one in this particular area.

    Inside, they found themselves surrounded by a throng of people drinking and eating, while loudly singing. There were even a group of people playing a game of sticks and pebbles while making bets.

    Her mother seemed to shrink in on herself, trying to avoid the men as much as she could. Justine, on the other hand, was staring with interest at the game of stick and pebbles like she was debating whether to join in.

    Ember sighed and went to the bar counter. "One beer and a room," she said, her voice come out as deep and scratchy.

    Her mother seemed startled by the voice but completely recovered and hissed. "What are you doing?"

    "Getting us a room," she nodded at the crowd.

    Her mother looked both confused and like she was planning to scold Ember.

    "That''ll be 4 flats," the bartender said.

    Ember froze. She had the money but it was in the box in Keeper''s Hold. She couldn''t just pull it out in the middle of the inn.

    When she hesitated, the bartender narrowed his eyes but then a hand slammed on the counter. "I got you this time, my friend."

    Justine grinned at her. She had lowered her voice though it was exactly at the registered it should be, it wasn''t too bad.

    "Thanks," Ember said.

    The bartender nodded and then turned, pulling a beer and putting it on the bar and shoving forward a key.

    Justine grabbed the beer and chugged it down in one long gulp. Ember took the keep and then made her way to the stairs. They slid into the room the rented and as soon as the door was closed her mother was turning to her.

    "Why were you ordering a beer?"

    "I was trying to fit in," Ember said and she couldn''t help her exasperation in her voice.

    "Don''t take that tone with me."

    Ember frowned. "Then you need to trust me, instead of questioning what I''m doing."

    "You''re twelve! You shouldn''t even be here. I should have never let you do this. It''s dangerous," her mother''s voice grew higher and higher as she spoke.

    "Quiet down, you two!" Justine cut in. "You two can hash it out when a girl''s life is hanging in the balance. Now, why don''t you look at that map of yours."

    Ember looked at her Mom but her mother didn''t say anything. She called up Finder and brought up the map. The dot was still in the same place. It hadn''t moved which she was starting to feel was strange. Was the girl drugged? The dot should have moved even a little but then again she might have and Ember hadn''t noticed because she was too far away.

    In any case, they were closer but Ember still didn''t feel it was enough. Unless she got the full area then the kidnapper could take the girl and move her into the areas, she didn''t have mapped. But that could happen anyway if she wasn''t there to help.

    "We need to get closer."

    "No," her mother said firmly. "This is close enough. Let the guards handle it from here."

    Ember gritted her teeth. This was so frustrating. She knew her mother was trying to protect her but even if she looked like she was a 12-year-old she was much older than that.

    "It is getting late. If we move now, we''ll get caught out there in the dark."

    Ember looked at Justine in disbelief. "Are you saying to give up when we''re so close?"

    "I''m just pointing out the current situation," Justine said with a shrug.

    "We''re not wandering out there in the dark," her mother said, crossing her arms.

    Ember bit the inside of her cheek to hold herself back from snapping. She tried to consider the situation calmly. They were in a poorer and probably more dangerous part of town. Her mother was defenseless, but she and Justine could probably handle themselves. If they left now, it would be far into the night before they made contact with the guard. By then the girl could be moved to a place not on her map, at worse she could be killed.

    It would have been better if the guards had been with them but she had been set on keeping her identity private. Things would be so much easier if cell phones existed. They did have birds to carry messages but Ember hadn''t thought to get one. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. She had to make a decision.

    "Justine, what do you think about getting her?"

    "Absolutely not!"

    Justine''s looked thoughtful. "Not sure. Maybe if it was night."

    Ember nodded. "We could go there and see if there is anyone around. I could provide backup if needed."

    Justine grinned. "Never considered myself a hero but I don''t mind giving it a try."

    Her mother grabbed her. "No! This isn''t what we agreed on."

    "And what if we leave and she''s moved? Worse, what if she dies?" Ember asked, meeting her mother''s eyes. "We''re here. We can save her."

    "It''s too dangerous."

    "I''m a Seedling and Justine is strong." Ember squeezed her mother''s hand. "Please. I don''t plan on going in. I''ll leave that to Justine and if it gets too dangerous, we''ll leave and send the guards. I-I just don''t want to abandon her."

    Her mother''s expression wavered.

    "What if it was me, Mom?''

    Her mother''s face crumpled at those words. She looked down. "I hate this. Why does it have to be you?"

    "Because I''m the one who can help." Ember reached over and hugged her mother. "Please, let me help."

    Her mother stiffened and then broke away. She balled up her face as if she was struggling to answer. Ember wasn''t sure what she would do if her mother still said no. Would she ignore her and do it anyway or would she give in and return back to the temple?

    No, she needed to be the one to save that girl. It was the only way she could make sure the guards took her seriously when Lady Allyana was kidnapped. Getting Count Uniar''s favor was vital. Her mother would understand in the long run.

    Ember took a deep breath. There was one way to resolve this. it would only take one touch to have her mother fall into slumber.

    "Okay," her mother said, turning to her. "We''ll do it but you have to promise to go back if it gets too dangerous."

    Ember tucked her hand behind her back, guilt sliding through her. "I promise," she said quickly.

    Her mother still looked worried but Justine looked excited.

    "Glad that''s decided," Justine said. "Now, I''ve got a plan on how this should go down."

    Ember glanced at her mother. Worry still covered her face. They''re eyes met but her mother quickly looked away, her shoulders tensed. Ember''s stomach twisted with unease but she ignored and turned her full attention to Justine. This had to work. Her family''s future depended on it.

 37 - Too Easy

    The plan, if it could even be called that, wasn''t what Ember would''ve come up with. It entailed Ember and her mother hiding out in a building close by while Justine scouted the     building to see if the girl was reachable. Ember would keep her map open and keep an eye out, then if things went wrong, her mother would get the guard. It was a simple and safe plan.

    Ember hated it but she knew there was no point fighting it. It looked that despite Justine''s free-spirited attitude she also wasn''t too keen on letting Ember rush into danger. Ember tried not to grumble too much about it.

    What she managed to get them to compromise on was scouting the area together. Honestly, Ember would''ve preferred to go alone but her mother wasn''t hearing it. The three of them moved out together. Or at least that was the plan.

    Justine looked at the darkening before turning to Ember. "Go ahead and drop that illusion you got on me. "

    Ember looked at her in surprise. "What?"

    "It''ll interfere with my stealth," she said and then looked thoughtful. "You two go ahead. I''m going to go ahead."

    "Is that safe?" her mother asked, looking around her as if she expected something to jump out from a corner.

    "Don''t worry. I''ll be close by. Just shout if you need help."

    Her mother started to say more but Ember cut in. "Go on. I''ll drop the illusion once you''re out of sight."

    Justine grinned at Ember and then hurried away. When she was further down the street, she turned in between some buildings. Ember dropped the illusion before moving again.

    Her mother stared at her but didn''t say anything. They moved together, keeping to the road. Ember didn''t dare duck into alley''s like before. Sometimes she saw her mother''s gaze dart side-to-side. People moved in the street. Most kept to themselves but sometimes rowdy men would pass by.

    Some would stare at them but most ignored them. Unfortunately, it didn''t stay like that. The closer they moved to their destination the more stares they got and this time they lingered. Her mother moved closer to her.

    "We should turn back," she whispered.

    "I think it''s too late for that," Ember said as she watched as a group of five men move in their direction.

    "Never seen you around here before," one man said. He was scrawny with short red hair that stuck up like the end of a broom. He had a lazy smile on his lips and an excitement in his eyes.

    Immediately, most of the stragglers scurried away, making it clear just the type of man they encountered.

    "We don''t want trouble," her mother said loudly, looking frantically around.

    The man frowned as he glanced around. "Expecting company?"

    The man''s hand snaked forward but before he could grab her mother, Ember''s hand wrapped around his wrist, stopping him.

    "Like he said," Ember said, meeting the man''s eye. "We don''t want trouble."

    The man grinned. "That''s too bad."

    Then as if they were waiting for a signal they group rushed forward. Ember raised her hand and an arch of flames slashed out in front of the group. Since her flame was spread out it wasn''t as strong as she would''ve liked but fire was still fire and then group jerked back.

    "Run!" Ember shouted and grabbed her mother''s wrist, pulling her along with her.

    They ran down the street, Ember glancing around for a good chokehold. As long as she could get them coming at her 1-2 at a time, she could handle them. The area was a mixture of rundown houses, old warehouses, and a workshop. Ember''s gaze moved to the open door of a worn house. She ran towards it.

    She could hear the sound of the men after them but just as they reached the doorway there was a commotion. Ember pushed her mother through the door and then turned to look around but there was no rush of men behind them.

    Ember frowned as she looked down the road. It had grown dark and it wasn''t as easy to see anymore.

    "Get away from the door," her mother said frantically.

    "Wait," Ember said. "They''re gone. Where..." She trailed off as she saw something dark on the ground.

    Ember tried to make it out when she saw a figure walking towards them, but this person was alone. Ember stepped back into the room and glanced at her mother.

    "There''s someone coming."

    Her mother grabbed her arm, pulling her further into the abandoned house, though a quick glance showed that it wasn''t as abandoned as they thought. There were several people huddled on the ground. Some had slept through the commotion while several others were looking at them with fear and distrust.

    The people were covered in worn clothes with holes or patches. A thin blanket was shared between a few people while others just curled in on themselves to keep warm. It looked like they had found a place where beggars and the very poor stayed for shelter.

    The sound of steps had her turn her head back to the door. And the person she had seen stepped in. As soon as she saw them, the tension in Ember''s shoulder faded away.

    "You two certainly have a knack for getting into trouble," Justine said, shaking her head.

    "The men-" her mother started.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Taken care of," Justine said and then jerked her head to the side. "We need to go."

    They nodded and then they were once again outside. Instead of heading back to the inn, they continue towards their destination but this time Justine stayed close and took the lead. Her steps were swift as she moved them through the area, avoiding people when she could until they finally reached the area they wanted.

    At that point, Justine left them to search for a place for them to hide in. Justine found a shack for them to stay in though it was a little further away from the area Justine would be entering but at this point it was clear Justine could take care of herself.

    Even so, Ember called up her map. The dot on the map was still in the same place but it seemed to move just a little before growing still.

    Ember also called up Justine.

    "Kind of creepy that you can watch me like that," Justine said, as she saw the dot that represented her.

    "It''s not like I can see more than a dot though," Ember said.

    Justine grunted. "I''m going." Then she was out the door.

    Ember watched the two dots. She noticed Justine stop and then she was moving in a loop. She was probably checking out the building. Ember frowned. She couldn''t help but feel Finder would be more useful if she could identify people without their names. At least then she could find out whether there were other people inside.

    As Ember considered the drawback of her Finder skill, she turned to check on her mother. She had grown quiet. She saw her mother standing against the wall, staring out the window.

    "Mom, are you okay?" Ember asked, worried.

    Her mother shook her head but didn''t say anything.

    Ember''s brow furrowed but she turned back to the map, keeping an eye on the dots. She couldn''t help worrying. Whoever had kidnapped the girl was either in the building or on their way back. If it was just an ordinary kidnapper then it was possible Justine would be able to take care of them without a problem.

    But Ember didn''t think it was that simple. Since Allyana was a noble, she was more than likely a Seedling and one with at least two or more abilities. That meant whoever kidnapped and murdered her in her past timeline was also likely a Seedling as well and managed to overwhelm her. Then again, she had no idea what sort of ability Allyana had. It was possible she didn''t have one that was useful in defending herself.

    "I should have told, Justine," Ember muttered to herself.

    "Told her what?" her mother asked.

    Ember looked at her mother. Her mother was looking at her but kept glancing nervously at the window as if she was afraid someone would appear and attack them. Ember gestured for her mother to come closer.

    Her mother reluctantly left her spot from the window to stand near Ember.

    Ember took her mother''s hand. "I''m sorry, Mom."

    Her mother looked startled and then seemed to relax just a little. "What are you saying sorry for?"

    "There''s a lot that I''ve kept secret from you. I did it to protect us but I should''ve trusted you. You''re my mom."

    Her mother smiled softly. "I am." Her mother let out a heavy sigh. "There''s a lot we''ll need to talk about later."

    "I know."

    Her mother nodded. "Let''s get through this first." She glanced at the map. "She''s closer."

    Ember looked back at the map. The two dots were on top of each other now. This was the dangerous part. Ember focused fully on the map. Her mother moved away, probably returning to the window.

    Ember watched as the two dots moved. Everything felt too easy. Where was the kidnapper. was he simply not there for the night. Perhaps he didn''t check on his victim every night? It was strange. Was she missing something?

    A sharp scream pierced the air.

    Ember whirled around to see her mother backing away from the window. Ember called up a flame as she rushed forward only to see a man crouched on the ground, under the window sill, shivering.

    "Don''t hurt me. Please, I don''t mean no harm."

    Ember frowned. "What are you doing here?"

    "I heard voices in my shack."

    Ember exchanged looks with her mother. They were the intruders here. Still, she didn''t let her guard down.

    "Can you check the map?"

    Her mother looked reluctant to leave Ember with the man but to her surprise she did. Maybe her mother was starting to realize that Ember was more capable than she thought. A few seconds later her mother was back at her side.

    "They''re moving in this direction." Her mother reached for the small sack tucked at her waist and fished out three copper flats. She handed the flats to the man. "We need to use your shack for an hour longer."

    The man''s eyes widened and he snatched the coin and scurried away. Ember frowned but tuned her attention back to the map. It looked like Justine was almost there. Ember waited anxiously but couldn''t help glancing at the window from time-to-time but the man didn''t return.

    Then there was a clatter at the door as Justine entered the shack, carrying a girl across her shoulder.  "Got it. You should''ve seen that place. It was like a secret torture dungeon. The stuff in there." She shook her head.

    "Did you run into anyone?" Ember asked.

    She shook her head. "But I wouldn''t be surprised if the creep showed up. That set up...it looked like someone who enjoyed what they did."

    "We should go," her mother said.

    They were all in agreement on that.

    "Should I add an illusion to you?" Ember asked.

    Justine frowned but nodded. "I''ll need to carry her and my stealth won''t cover her so it''s better if you add an illusion to her."

    Ember understood. If she was adding an illusion to the girl Justine was carrying it would likely interfere with Justine''s stealth so it was better they both had illusions. Placing an illusion on the pair and switching out her and her mother''s illusion in case they ran into the group they encountered before, they all moved out.

    Surprisingly, the girl didn''t move or speak the entire time. "Is she unconscious?"

    Justine nodded. "I would''ve thought she was dead if I didn''t hear her groan every once in a while."

    Ember wondered if she was drugged. They would need to move fast. Hopefully before she woke up and panicked.

    Silently, they began making their way out of the area with Justine taking the lead and keeping them away from people. The streets had emptied out so there weren''t many people to run into and most they encountered were minding their business.

    They were out of the area and halfway to the temple when the girl woke up with a start. She immediately started struggling.

    "No! Please no!"

    "Calm down! You''re safe," Justine said.

    This seemed to only make the girl struggle even more.

    Justine grasped the girl and pulled her down, holding her tight. "I said calm down."

    "You''re scaring her," Ember''s mother said and hurried over to the girl, and gently took her hand. "Your name''s Meri, isn''t it? We saved you from that place. We''re taking you back to the temple."

    At mention of the temple the girl calmed a little though her gaze darted around her. "Is he here? He''s here, I know it. He''s going to hurt me. He''ll tear me apart. Please, please help me."

    Her mother hugged the girl and Justine back away, giving them space. Ember watched her mother hold and comfort the girl. She looked to be around 14 or 15. She never should''ve went through something like this.

    As she waited for her mother to calm the girl down, Ember glanced around her. Something felt off. She couldn''t explain it but it was like a scratching across her soul. She turned around, peering into the darkness.

    "We should move," Ember said, unsettled. She felt a warning going off inside her but she couldn''t place why.

    Just as she was going to say more she saw three figures walking towards them. Ember''s eyes widened.

    "Priest Beslen," she said in surprise and besides him was Knight Vantosia and Garrick.

 38 - A Question

    Priest Beslen ''s expression grew confused as he looked at her. "Um, Sir, do I know you?"

    Ember silently swore to herself. She had messed up. Of course, Priest Beslen wouldn''t recognize her since she had an illusion covering her. She had been so startled to see him that she couldn''t help saying his name.

    "No, you don''t know me," she quickly said, trying to recover the situation. "I''m a friend of Justine''s. We were heading to the temple to bring you her." Ember nodded to the girl huddle next to her mother. "She''s the one who went missing."

    Priest Beslen''s eyes widened. "You have the missing girl? But how? Where are the others?"

    Knight Garrick stepped forward, his hand on his pommel. "How do we know you''re not the ones who kidnapped her?"

    "They''re not," Knight Vantosia said, his voice tight. "Knight Garrick, please take the girl to the temple."

    Knight Garrick looked surprised but didn''t protest. Instead, he stepped forward to get the girl. But the woman whimpered and huddled closer to her mother.

    Her mother whispered to the girl and she shook her head. Her mother gave the girl a gentle smile and then turned to Garrick. Ember was about to cut in but Justine beat her to it.

    "He''ll go with you. The girl is calmer with him." When Justine spoke her voice was scratchy, making her gender hard to figure out. On the other hand, her mother had forgotten to hide her voice.

    Her mother looked surprised. Either she had realized she had been talking normally all this time or she was surprised that Justine had volunteered her to go with Knight Garrick. Her mother gave her a questioning look.

    Ember smiled reassuringly at her. "It''s okay."

    Her mother hesitated but she ended up guiding the girl to Garrick and the three of them turned to make their way to the temple. Ember wasn''t sure if this was a sign that her mother was beginning to trust that she can handle herself or if it was merely because she felt Ember would be safe with Knight Vantosia and the others.

    Knight Vantosia watched them go before turning to look at Ember and Justine with narrowed eyes.

    Ember shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

    "So where are the others?" Priest Beslen said, glancing at Vantosia and then away.

    "They''re safe. They''ll be arriving at the temple shortly."

    Priest Beslen looked relieved. "I was starting to get worried that something had happened."

    Ember blinked in surprised and then realized what was going on. Priest Beslen must''ve gotten worried when they weren''t back in the evening. He must''ve asked the Knights for help in case something happened to them.

    It did leave them in a tricky situation. How much had he told Knight Vantosia? She wasn''t sure if Knight Vantosia suspected she was a Seedling or if he simply thought she was an unnaturally talented swordsman.

    She glanced at the man to see him staring at her. She quickly looked away.

    "We should head back," she said.

    "No," Knight Vantosia said.

    Ember blinked.

    "Why not?" Justine jumped in. "We''ve had a long night and you''ve got the girl."

    "We''ll need to question you about what happened. Please come along."

    Justine''s jaw tightened. "And if we don''t?"

    "I''ll arrest you," Knight Vantosia said. "But that shouldn''t be a problem. You have nothing to hide, correct?"

    Justine gritted her teeth and the way she shifted her stance. Ember got the feeling she was getting ready to show the knight just how she felt about that.

    "I''ll go," Ember quickly said. "You''ll only need one of us to tell you what happened? We didn''t save the girl but Justine sent us to bring her to the temple."

    "Why did she do that?" Priest Beslen said, confusion on his face. "Wouldn''t it have been better to come together?"

    "Justine was injured," Ember said quickly.

    Justine snorted at that but let her continued.

    "So they went ahead while leaving the girl to us. They were worried that the injury could slow them down or cause them to become a target by the kidnapper."

    Worried and guilt spread across Priest Beslen''s face. "Then we should return quickly to make sure they are alright. Thank you..."

    "Tom and Jerry," Ember said, going with the first thing that came to mind.

    The priest nodded. "Thank you, Mister Tom and Mister Jerry." He then turned to Knight Vantosia, barely holding back his need to rush off. "Shall we go?"

    Knight Vantosia nodded and looked pointedly at Ember.

    Ember took a step forward before Justine grabbed her shoulder. "One minute."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Ember looked questioningly at Justine as the woman pulled her a bit away from the others. She kept her voice lowered.

    "Are you sure you want to go? I can go with Mister Stick-up-his-arse, instead."

    Ember gave her a strained smile. "It''s better if I go. I really don''t know what happened beyond being in the shack. You can report everything in the morning."

    Justine frowned. "Maybe it''ll be better just to tell them the truth."

    Ember thought about it and shook her head. "The less people who know what I can do the better."

    "Why?"

    Ember paused, opened her mouth and then closed it. She shook her head. "I have to to. We''ll talk tomorrow. Okay?"

    Justine sighed and nodded.

    Ember hurried to join the other two. They three walked in silence. Knight Vantosia was always quiet but Priest Beslen seemed to be too busy fretting to hold a conversation. Ember felt similarly. She was considering her story. She needed to make sure that it stayed as truthful as possible.

    The three of them walked at a quick pace which meant that they managed to catch up with her mother and Knight Garrick. The girl, Meri, was weak due to her confinement but refused to allow Knight Garrick to carry her. Her mother didn''t have the strength to carry the girl around so it slowed them down.

    That turned out to be a good thing because about twenty minutes in their walk there was a snap feeling. Ember jerked and realized that the illusion she had on Justine had broken apart. If they hadn''t managed to catch up with Knight Garrick, it was likely the same would''ve happened to her mother.

    Ember couldn''t help feeling nervous about that so she moved closer to Meri and brushed against her. The girl stumbled and then a moment later sagged to the ground. Her mother gasped and caught her.

    "The poor girl fainted," her mother said, this time remembering to disguise her voice though it was a poor attempt.

    Immediately, Knight Garrick scooped the girl up and their pace quickened. Her mother stayed by Ember''s side though she kept looking nervously at the unconscious girl.

    "Once we get to the temple, you should head out," Ember said to her mother.

    Her mother''s head whipped towards her. "I can stay."

    Ember shook her head. "It''s late. Jerry headed back and you should do the same. I promised to talk with Knight Vantosia."

    Her mother frowned and then her eyes widened in realization. She took a quick glance at Knight Vantosia who looked firmly ahead though Ember had no doubt that he took in their suspicious behavior. For whatever reason, he was letting it go. It could be because he still had Ember to question or they had gained some small amount of trust due to saving the missing girl.

    Her mother nodded reluctantly. Ember knew that a conversation with her and Rowan were long overdue. She needed to tell them about her abilities and at least hint at what she had planned. As to the time loop, she was still on the fence about it. It''s not that she didn''t trust them with the information. it was more that she wasn''t sure how likely they were to believe her.

    Still, perhaps she should give them the chance to accept or reject the information. It was her family and if she wanted them to trust her, she needed to explain why they should.

    It''s decided then.

    Tomorrow, she would explain everything to them. She would have liked to wait until they were in their own place so they had more privacy but with her getting involved in the missing cases and possibly more cases in the future she needed to get things settled as soon as possible.

    The decision gave her a mixture of relief and dread. She had to keep reminding herself that it was for the best. Tomorrow then. For now, she needed to deal with Knight Vantosia. Honestly, she was exhausted but the sooner she could get the conversation out of the way the better.

    When they reached the temple, her mother gave a reluctant look to her and Meri.

    "Matron Camila will probably come looking for Meri," Ember said to Knight Garrick. "Justine had sent word for her to be on a lookout for Meri''s arrival."

    Knight Garrick nodded. "I''ll send someone for her when the girl wakes up."

    Ember nodded while her mother looked grateful.

    With that, her mother gave her another worried glance before leaving with a nod to the knight and Priest Beslen. It was clear she was trying to talk as little as possible in order to not give herself away any further.

    Once she was gone, Priest Beslen excused himself in order to go search for Ember and the rest. It was clear the priest was still worried. She felt sort of bad letting him go off when she was standing right there, but she was determined to keep as much of her secrets as she could. Since Priest Beslen could see her abilities, he would have questions about why she was able to use an ability that she didn''t show as having. She could use the excuse she was planning to use for her registration but she was worried that he might see past it given he was part of the Akashic Order.

    She frowned. That brought a new thought to mind. Since this temple of the Akashic Order was focused on scholarly support it was likely that someone might see through her excuse if they could delve deeper in her curse. It might be safer for her not to have the curse looked at in that case.

    "This way," Knight Vantosia said, interrupting her thoughts. The knight began leading her down the halls of the temple.

    The temple was much larger than the ones in Goros and much different in design from most temples. it was a long circular tower with floors dedicated to study, scribing, and written archives. There first two lower floors were there for worshipers as well as guest rooms like the ones they were staying in. There were also private offices and meeting rooms.

    So Ember wasn''t too surprised when Knight Vantosia guided them to a personal office. She was surprised that it was already set up and looked like it had been in use for weeks instead of the half-day they had been here.

    "Have a seat," Knight Vantosia said as he settled down in a chair behind his desk.

    Ember nodded and plopped down. As she did, she felt the familiar snap as her illusion over her mother finally fell apart. She sighed in relief. now it was just her.

    Without prompting she went straight into her explanation. Perhaps she was being too eager but now that she was at the temple all she wanted to do was go to bed. Just how late was it?

    She started by explaining that Justine went into the building that the girl had been held while the rest of them had stayed hidden in a shack as backup. There they had waited only being interrupted by the homeless guy and how they dealt with him. She then explained how Justine returned and that she mentioned about the girl being tortured.

    "And if you want to know the details about that you would have to speak with Justine."

    Knight Vantosia''s eyes glowed as she spoke and he nodded. "Why did you send Justine in alone?"

    Ember was careful how she answered. She still didn''t know if Knight Vantosia knew that her and her mother had been there. "Justine decided it would be safer for everyone this way. She''s good at what she does."

    Knight Vantosia''s eyes narrowed and Ember wondered if she had just made Justine look like some sort of criminal.

    "She''s a monster hunter," Ember quickly explained.

    Knight Vantosia nodded. "Can you tell me how the homeless man looked?"

    Ember nodded and gave the Knight a description which he wrote down.

    "Do you think he was involved?" Ember couldn''t help asking.

    "It''s possible. It''s always best to check just in case."

    Ember nodded.

    For a moment, there was silence between them as Knight Vantosia wrote down several notes. Ember shifted in her seat, trying to keep herself awake. Finally, she got tired of waiting.

    "Is it okay for me to leave. It''s late and I''m tired."

    The knight nodded. "I understand. I just have a few more questions."

    Ember had to stop herself from sighing. "Okay."

    "How long have you been a Seedling?"

 39 - Meeting Bloom Larisel

    Ember felt a wave of panic but she calmed herself. Knight Vantosia was probably trying to rattle her or her persona. She scratched her cheek and leaned back in her chair. She could lie but she was talking to the knight of truth so that was pointless. Of course, her persona probably wouldn''t know that but no point in making her seem like she was hiding anything.

    "I have time until I have to register," she answered and crossed her arms.

    She saw the knight''s eyes glow before he nodded. He studied her for a while, opened his mouth, and then closed it. He looked pensive before his expression returned to its normal stoicism.

    "Mister Tom that will be all. If I have any more questions, where can I find you."

    Ember frowned. She hadn''t thought about that. "I move around a lot. I''m staying at the Tilted Lady but you can let Justine know and she''ll contact me."

    Knight Vantosia gave her a clip nod and looked down at his notes.

    Ember took that as her being dismissed and hurried out of the office. She felt a wave of relief as soon as she left the office. She immediately used stealth and found a secluded place to drop her illusion. She then made her way back to her room. As soon as she stepped inside, she found her brother up and starring at her.

    Ember blinked and closed the door, dropping her stealth.

    "Ah, that''s better," her brother said. "My eyes kept acting weird whenever I looked at you."

    "It''s because of the stealth."

    "An ability, not a magic item," Rowan stated.

    She nodded and sat down on her bed. "What are you still doing up?"

    "Couldn''t sleep," Rowan said with a shrug.

    She knew that he must have stayed up worried about mom and her.

    "Mom is back, too. She''s just helping out the knights."

    "I know. She stopped here before rushing out again," Rowan said, stifling a yawn.

    Ember chuckled. "Go to sleep. We''ll talk more in the morning."

    Rowan grunted but climbed into the mat and blankets an acolyte had brought for him. Ember climbed into her own bed but she didn''t fall asleep. Her mind was racing. Thoughts scrambled through her mind about what happened tonight. She was a bit bothered by the strange feeling she had right before they ran into Priest Beslen and the knights. But no one had noticed it and she was pretty sure the two trained knights or even Justine would have noticed something wrong.

    It was the same with her meeting with Knight Vantosia. It had seemed off but when she thought about it, it was just the normal questioning of a witness. She was the one on edge, probably because of all the secrets she was keeping.

    Which brought her to Justine''s question. Why was she keeping everything a secret? Of course, there had been a reason to keep it a secret when she was in Goros. Lord Felis claiming her as his Seedling and harming her family in the process had hung over her like an ever-dropping pendulum.

    But now she was in Hekral and as soon as she was registered, she would be out of Lord Felis''s grasp. Of course, she would still need to hide the full extent of her abilities but she could notify everyone that she was a Seedling at least. So why was she hesitating?

    She turned it over in her mind. Was she afraid? She hated to admit it but it was possible. She didn''t have access to all of her abilities. She was also having troubles adjusting to the limitations of not just her abilities but her mind and body. Her emotions were all over the place and she had a hard time controlling them.

    Her empire of power she built was gone as well as the people who supported her. All this time she had thought she had never depended on anyone but maybe a part of her had. She missed Tafria and Viera. She missed the Scarlet Fists and the walls of Thralen. She had struggled to carve a place for herself and all that hard work was gone and now she felt naked.

    She sucked in a breath and let herself feel everything she had lost. She breathed out.

    If she built a place for herself once she could do it again. This time it would be even better. For all that she had lost, more importantly she had gained another chance. A chance to save her family. Despite her mess ups so far, her mother and brother were safe and she had a plan to save her father.

    She didn''t have time to be afraid. She had too many things to do. Ember smiled into the dark and she began to make plans. She stayed up planning until her mother return. Only then did she allow herself to sleep.

    The next morning, Ember informed her mother and brother that she ran into Bloom Larisel on her way to her room and she wanted to meet them for breakfast. Her mother looked startled at the invitation and rushed to make herself look presentable while her brother gave her a suspicious look.

    "What are you up to?"

    Ember grinned at him. "You''ll see."

    Once they were ready, Ember led them out of the temple. She gestured for them to follow her into a crowded shop and once inside, she put illusions on them and stealth on herself. Then they were out again and walking in a different direction.

    "Ugh, my eyes hurt," Rowan complained.

    "Was it really necessary to go this far," her mother added.

    "Yes," Ember said. "I''ll explain later."

    "It''s always later," her brother grumbled.

    Eventually, she brought the group to a modest inn and paid for a room as well as having breakfast sent up. Her mother gave her a strange look at the money she doled out but didn''t say anything. She probably thought Bloom Larisel had given it to her.

    Once they were inside the room, Ember gestured for them to sit down. All three waited anxiously before there was a knock on the door and a barmaid brought in breakfast. As she moved to leave, Ember swiftly stood up, told the barmaid they weren''t to be disturbed and locked the door behind her.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "Why are you locking the door?" Her mother asked. "Bloom Larisel will need to get in."

    "There is something I need to tell you and we need privacy," Ember said.

    Her mother gave a worried look to the door.

    "Don''t worry," Ember said. "There won''t be a problem concerning Bloom Larisel." She gestured to the food. "Please make a plate for yourself."

    "Shouldn''t we wait for Bloom Larisel to arrive first."

    "No. She''s not going to eat with us."

    Rowan snorted and dug into the food. Her mother looked nervous but she also made herself some food though it wasn''t much. Ember could understand because she barely added any food onto her plate. her stomach was churning with nervousness. She ate a bite of bread and cheese before finally giving up and starting. First, she sent out a trail of air, making sure to pick up on any nearby sounds in case of eavesdroppers. When she felt they were safe she began.

    "There is a lot I''ve been keeping from you both," Ember started. "I have...a lot of secrets."

    "Yeah, you do," Rowan said as he tore into a slice of ham. She had splurged on meat. They both needed more in their diet.

    Her mother didn''t say anything but her silence was heavy. Ember knew she was still upset about everything she had found out yesterday. It would definitely get worse by the end of this conversation. Ember just hoped her reasoning would be enough.

    "The first thing you should know, is about my ability." She called up Finder. The map shown in the air and unfurled.

    "You''ve both seen it before. It''s called Finder''s Keeper and it is technically my only ability."

    They both looked at her in confusion.

    "What?" Rowan said. "But I''ve seen you do stuff. Like fire and water."

    "Yes," her mother agreed. "You even put illusions on us."

    Ember nodded. "I know, but I only have one ability. The thing is that you can only see one part of my ability." She pointed at the map. "This is the Finder''s part."

    She then raised her hand and called up a flame followed by a ball of water. "This is part of the Keeper part."

    "Finder''s Keeper allows me to find what I''m looking for and then keep it."

    Rowan looked like he was piecing things together but her mother''s eyes widened and she put her hand over her mouth. She looked horrified.

    "You can steal people''s abilities," she whispered and then looked around her in fear.

    Ember winced at the word steal but she wasn''t wrong. She nodded. "Yes. You can see why I would keep it a secret."

    "So none of these abilities are yours?" Her brother asked and his voice was heavy with disappointment.

    "They''re mine," Ember said and now came the hard part. "The people I got them from no longer exist."

    They both stared at her, looking horrified.

    Her first reaction was to reassuring them that she didn''t kill them but that wasn''t true either. She had killed a vast majority of people she took abilities from though not all.

    "How I got them is tied to my curse," Ember said, pointing at her eye.

    Her mother''s lips tightened in anger. "So you did know how you got it."

    "No," Ember said quickly. "I only found out recently." She took in a breath and then released it. "When I went to get Dad back I got hurt. While I was hurt I had a vision and during that vision a messenger from Akashic visited me. She told me about the curse."

    Ember stopped to look at her mother and brother. They looked unsure and confused.

    "She told me the curse was payment for being able to live this life again," Ember said, forcing herself to keep her voice steady.

    "Again," her mother breathed out.

    Ember nodded. "This is my third time living this life. The abilities I have are ones I received in my past life."

    They both stared at her. Her brother looked at her like she was crazy while her mother seemed to be trying to find the right words to say to her mentally ill daughter.

    "It''s why I woke up with the curse on my eye," Ember said and then raised her hand. She flickered through the four elements she had. "Fire, water, air, earth." She then turned her stealth on and then off, and then she changed her illusion. "Stealth, illusion. I can even put a person to sleep with a touch."

    "Last night, when the girl passed out...That was you?" Her mother asked.

    She nodded. "I also have Soul and Mind Resistance. Those are my active abilities but there are more but their locked away."

    "That''s nine! Wait ten with the map," Rowan said excitedly. He seemed to have gotten over that most of her powers were stolen.

    Ember nodded. She decided not to include soul torture. That would open up a conversation she didn''t want to get into.

    "With all those abilities, do you really think I would have managed to get them all in Goros?" Ember met her mother''s eyes. "I''ve lived this life twice before. It''s my third time reliving it."

    Her mother rubbed her forehead. "You asked me to believe you are reliving this life."

    "I do," Ember said. "I know that isn''t going to be easy. It''s why I hesitated in tell you. The only proof I have is that when I register, I can promise you that they will only see that I have one ability, Finder''s Keeper."

    Her mother looked panicked. "You can''t register. If they find out about your ability."

    Ember shook her head. "Don''t worry." She pointed to her eye. "I''m going to tell them that my curse prevents my other abilities from being seen."

    Her mother still looked unsure. "People might figure it out."

    Ember nodded. "In time, I''m sure they will. I just have to get strong enough for it not to matter by then."

    This didn''t lessen the worry on her mother''s face but at least she seemed to be taking her seriously.

    "Does that mean you believe me?"

    Her mother''s expression shifted from worry to guilt back to worry. "I believe you about Finder''s Keepers."

    "But not about the past lives," Ember said and she couldn''t help but feel defeated. "It''s true. Haven''t you noticed how different I sound and how I act."

    Her mother looked pensive before nodding. "Yes, you are different but...if you have relieved your life shouldn''t you have known about the river attack?"

    Ember groaned. "That was new. It didn''t happen before in the past."

    Her mother looked skeptical and even her brother gave her a doubtful look.

    "Things change," Ember insisted. "Sometimes one change can cause a lot of things to change from how they were before. I don''t know what cause the river attack but a lot of things changed. Before we never came to Hekral but we''re here now."

    Ember sucked in a breath and then let it out. "I promise I''m telling the truth. I can tell you about events that are supposed to happen but even those might have changed a little."

    "Tell us!" Rowan said, excitedly.

    "The man who kidnapped Meri, is supposed to kidnap Lady Allyana. Afterwards, Count Uniar locks himself in seclusion and his noble house goes to ruin. In 7 years we''ll go to war with Farru and three years after that we''ll join in a treaty with them in order to fight the Shade and stop the spread of their corruption."

    Rowan blinked. "Wow, the future sucks."

    Her mother smacked her brother''s arm. "Watch your words."

    Her brother pouted and rubbed his arms.

    "Despite how your brother said it. He''s right. The future you say you''ve lived sounds dark."

    Ember didn''t know what to say to that. It wasn''t like she had control over that.

    Her mother sighed. "I have to think about that. For now, we all should keep quiet about everything Ember said today. It could be dangerous if people find out." Her mother turned to Rowan, clasping his hands. "This is very important Rowan. I know how excited you get but you have to keep everything a secret, including your sister''s abilities. Especially her abilities."

    Rowan nodded his head solemnly. "I promise."

    Her mother smiled at him before letting him go and turning to Ember. "Now, how much does Bloom Larisel know?"

    Ember winced and sucked in a breath. She then casted a familiar illusion on herself. "Um, I''m Bloom Larisel."

 40 - Unravel

    Ember''s mother gaped at her. Her eyes widened as a wave of emotions flickered across her face. Ember waited, wondering which of the feelings she would settle on. Finally, her mother balled up her hands and narrowed her eyes.

    "Are you really my daughter?"

    The words felt like a slap across the face. Ember dropped her illusion and stood there. Hurt flashed in her eyes before she regained herself. Though what her mother said was unexpected it wasn''t a strange reaction. She was an illusionist who had deceived her with tricks and lies. On top of that, Ember acted differently, had abilities she hadn''t had before, and knowledge that even her parents didn''t know. It wouldn''t be too strange to think of her as a completely different person.

    Still, it hurt.

    "Yes," she said. She couldn''t bring herself to look at her mother and see the doubt in her eyes.

    Silence hung in the room and Ember waited for her to express her doubts further.

    A long sigh broke the silence and Ember looked at her mother to see her watching her. There was no anger or doubt, instead there was only disappointment.

    "You lied to me and your father and tricked us," her mother said bluntly.

    "Yes," Ember said, growing defensive. "I thought it was the best way to get us safely away from Lord Felis."

    Her mother''s lips tightened. "I suppose it partly worked."

    Ember winced.

    Another sigh spilled from her mother''s mouth and she turned her head looking deep in thought. No one said anything, though Rowan looked nervously between the two and shifted in his seat.

    Finally, her mother returned to herself and when she looked at Ember, her eyes flashed with resolve.

    "Ember, you are asking me to trust you but have done everything in your power to show me I shouldn''t."

    Ember couldn''t deny that. She could explain that she was doing it to protect them but she knew that wasn''t the only reason. She hadn''t trusted them and she was still keeping secrets. She didn''t feel like she needed to tell her parents everything but she could have at least trusted them with her plans.

    Ember folded her hands in her lap, looking down at the table. The scent of cooked ham overpowered the room and her stomach churned.

    "No more lies," her mother said firmly.

    Ember nodded her head.

    "I know you have more secrets and I don''t expect you to tell me every single one of them but if you want us to trust you, you have to start trusting us in return. Do you understand?"

    "Yes, ma''am."

    "Ember look at me."

    Ember dragged her head up and forced herself to look at her mother.

    Her mother met her eyes and then stood up. She walked over to Ember and crouched in front of her. She pulled Ember''s hands from her lap and held them tightly.

    "I''m upset and disappointed in your method but I understand why you did it this way. I know you''ve done everything from a place of love for your family. But going forward, we need to work together. I know there is a limit on what I can do since I''m not a Seedling. Last night showed me that, but that doesn''t mean we can''t work together."

    Ember nodded her head.

    Her mother smiled at her and then reached over and hugged Ember. "I love you, Ember. Your entire family does. Let us help."

    Ember shuddered and then wrapped her arms around her mother, hugging her tightly. "I will. I promise."

    Her mother pulled back and looked at Ember. Her thumb rubbed across Ember''s cheek, wiping away tears Ember hadn''t noticed she had shed.

    "Now," her mother said. "Let''s discuss your punishment."

    Ember swallowed but didn''t argue. She was almost grateful to be punished because that meant her mother was treating her like she was her daughter.

    "Going forward, if you make plans to do anything dangerous you must tell me and if I wish to go with you then you won''t argue with me about it."

    Ember frowned. "Mom, that''s too dangerous."

    Her mother scowled by nodded. "Then you will have to have Justine or one of the Knights go with you."

    Ember was reluctant but she nodded.

    "Lastly, you''ll be in charge of doing laundry for a month."

    Ember winced but nodded.

    "Now, shall we continue?" Her mother asked with a satisfied smile.

    It took most of the morning and part of the afternoon for her and her mother to figure out how things would be going forward. The first thing they agreed on was that Ember would share with them any information or plans that involved her family. This brought up Ember''s goal to secure a safe place for her family beyond the reach of nobles. It wasn''t too much of a surprise that her mother was skeptical.

    "Do you have a plan on how to do that?"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "I''m looking for unowned land," Ember said. "I have some potential locations in mind."

    Her mother looked surprised and then doubtful. "I didn''t think a place like that existed in Nivikes."

    "It doesn''t," Ember said.

    Confusion crossed her mother''s face followed by realization. "You plan to leave the country."

    Ember nodded. "That''s the only way to secure land that isn''t ruled by nobles or the monarchy."

    Her mother shook her head. "What you are suggesting is impossible. You''re basically stating you''re going to create a kingdom. You don''t have the resources or people for that."

    "I don''t have them yet." Ember''s eyes grew bright with possibility.

    Her mother looked flabbergasted before shaking her head. "I don''t think it''s possible, Ember, but I won''t stand in your way. Just be careful who you mention your plan to. I don''t want to be accused of treason."

    Ember kept her face clear of her thoughts. She was definitely planning treason but she wasn''t stupid enough to admit that, even to her family. She would wait for her family to be relocated since then it would technically not be treason.

    They quickly moved on to the next topic. At that point, Rowan had grown bored, and with warm food in his stomach, he fell asleep on the inn''s bed. It was only when he was fast asleep that Ember turned to her mother and began to tell her in detail about what happened to her family in her past lives.

    Her mother listened in horror and then acceptance. She asked questions from time to time but mostly she listened. When Ember was done, her mother had a pensive look on her face before she nodded.

    "I won''t stand in the way of the things you feel you need to do but you must also accept that despite everything you told me, to me you are my twelve-year-old daughter. All of this is hard for me to accept. It''ll take time and patience."

    "I understand," Ember said.

    Her mother snorted. "I don''t think you do." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Promise me you''ll at least try to keep me informed. It''s hard to not know."

    Ember bit her lip. "I''ll try."

    "Do more than try," her mother said firmly.

    Ember nodded.

    After that, her mother asked her more questions about her Seedling abilities and Ember explained more about Keeper. Once they were done, they planned their next steps. Her mother would look for a house while Ember trained. Ember hinted that she had plans to get further involved with the kidnapping case but didn''t go into detail. It was clear her mother didn''t like it but she held off on saying more about it.

    Lastly, her mother agreed to let Rowan train with Knight Vantosia. It was clear she wasn''t happy about it but she admitted it might be necessary based on the future Ember saw for them. Ember also hinted that perhaps her mother could join them for some of their training. To her surprise, her mother looked interested and Ember mentally added to her plans to train her mother in some combat techniques. She wondered what would work best for her mother.

    When they returned to the temple in the late afternoon, Rowan immediately rushed off to play with the neighborhood kids that hung around the temple. They often took on odd jobs for the priest and acolytes, usually delivering small packages or letters, or doing minor chores for a few coins. When they weren''t working, they played games. Rowan fell easily into their group.

    Her mother decided to rest. Ember knew she was feeling overwhelmed by their conversation. Ember had to admit she felt the same but decided to let her mother have time alone to sort out her thoughts. She was thinking of what she wanted to do next when she came across Knight Garrick. As soon as he saw her, he hurried in her direction.

    "Maiden Ember, Knight Vantosia would like a word with you."

    "Oh, okay," Ember said. She was a little surprised that Knight Vantosia had sent Knight Garrick to get her instead of an acolyte. Something about it sent warning bells off in her head.

    She peered at the knight. "Is there something wrong?"

    "I''m not sure," the knight said. "Knight Vantosia said it was urgent."

    Ember stiffened. She studied Knight Garrick, searching for some clue. Right away, she noticed the knight was watching her. His hazel eyes seemed to flash with curiosity. He was looking for a clue as much as she was. That at least told her that he was being truthful that he wasn''t sure what was going on. It didn''t exactly ease her fears but she was sure if Knight Vantosia was going to arrest her, he would have informed Knight Garrick.

    They arrived at the familiar office Ember had just seen yesterday. She wondered if yesterday''s events were why she was here. After all, Priest Beslen had already informed them she was involved in the rescue though not to what extent. Knight Vantosia had to be wondering about her role in everything. By this time, he had already spoken with Justine so he might be trying to confirm her story. She relaxed at the thought. Knight Garrick gave a quick knock on the door before opening it.

    Knight Vantosia looked up from several letters he was reading. He nodded to an empty chair. "Please sit."

    Ember sat down while Knight Garrick gave a clipped nod to Knight Vantosia before departing. Ember was a little surprised to see him go after personally bringing her there but assumed that if this was an inquiry about yesterday''s events then there wasn''t a point for Knight Garrick to stick around.

    "Maiden Ember." Knight Vantosia looked at her and there was some hesitation before his face grew stoic once more. "Is there anything you wish to share with me?"

    "About yesterday?" Ember asked.

    Knight Vantosia didn''t say anything.

    Ember stared at him, trying to gauge what he was getting at. The nervousness she had calmed rose again with a vengeance.

    "Can you be more specific?" Ember asked cautiously. She needed at least a hint to respond properly. She didn''t want to accidentally give away more information than was necessary.

    Knight Vantosia frowned but only briefly but his features smoothed back into their normal stoicism.

    "I''ve been debating about what to do with you but it is clear that you don''t trust me."

    Ember didn''t jump to deny it. She trusted Knight Van as the knight of truth but beyond that, he was a stranger.

    He paused. "I suppose there isn''t a reason to trust me but I can also say there isn''t a reason to distrust me either."

    "It depends on what you are asking me to trust you with," Ember said carefully.

    Knight Vantosia looked surprised at her answer before nodding stiffly. "That is something to consider."

    Ember felt like she had passed the first part of a test but she wasn''t sure what the test was for. Instead, she waited for the knight to continue.

    "Can you trust me to protect you?"

    "Yes," Ember said. "But that protection comes with conditions."

    "Conditions?" Knight Vantosia asked, his tone surprised. "Explain."

    "You''ll protect me as long as I follow the rules you set for me."

    He gestured for her to continue.

    "For example, if I was a murderer, you wouldn''t protect me nor would I expect you to."

    Knight Vantosia nodded his head. "I think that is reasonable."

    "I agree," Ember said firmly. She didn''t want the knight to think that she was trying to become a criminal, future treason notwithstanding.

    "The problem comes in if we disagree on something that is the core to our belief or in the case when our goals conflict. Can I trust you to further my goals at the cost of your own or to protect me if our core belief system contradicts each other?"

    Knight Vantosia''s eyebrows rose. "You speak like the orators of the courts."

    Ember shrugged. "I''m full of surprises."

    "I''ve noticed." The knight looked thoughtful. "You''ve given me something to think about."

    Ember relaxed at his words. She wasn''t exactly sure why he called her to have this conversation but she was hoping that was the end of it.

    Everything changed with his next words.

    "Maiden Ember, I would like to sponsor you."

 41 - Offers

    Ember blinked in surprise. "What? Why?" she blurted out.

    For a moment, amusement flickered in Knight Vantosia''s eyes before they returned to their usual blue stoicism. Even so, Ember couldn''t help gaping. Though Priest Beslen had mentioned Knight Vantosia having a sponsorship, Ember hadn''t taken it seriously. It wasn''t that she didn''t doubt he had one since he was a noble but his Seedling spots would be extremely limited due to not being the head of the Moze noble family or the firstborn.

    The practice among the nobility was that the head of a noble family was given enough Seedling spots to cover himself and his children. Based on rank, they were given extra spots that were usually passed out to those under them - this could be other family members, a spouse, or whoever they decide to sponsor. This didn''t mean their children''s children would get a spot unless they were the next head of the family.

    Ember knew for a fact that Knight Vantosia was not the next head of the family. Being a knight took him out of the running since a Knight had to put the royal family first. On top of that, she was aware that the Moze family had many children though she wasn''t sure what their rank was. But he was not a duke or a marquess. The knight either had to come from a Count, Viscount, or Baron family, meaning his slots were limited. Still, it was possible that his family head had given him a spot or that he had earned one from the royal family but that would be two spots and those spots would usually be reserved for his firstborn or a chosen squire. None of it made sense to offer to a girl he had met only a few weeks ago.

    "Illusions, a sleep ability, and some sort of pathfinding ability. Those are my guesses as to your abilities."

    Ember froze up. She started to deny what he was saying but he continued.

    "My eyes see the truth, meaning I can see past illusions."

    Ember''s mouth clamped shut. Her brain went into overdrive. She had to be careful, otherwise she would fall into his trap.

    "What makes you think that I''m the one who was using those abilities?"

    "Were you?" Knight Vantosia said and his eyes began to glow.

    Ember didn''t speak but that was answer enough.

    "You already admitted that you have time to register," Knight Van said.

    "Damn it," she muttered. So, she had fallen into his trap already. It explained why everything had seemed slightly off when he questioned her the night before.

    "I could already have a sponsor," Ember said.

    "But you don''t. If you did there would be no reason to hide your ability."

    That wasn''t true but to say otherwise would mean she was a criminal and this light questioning would turn into a full interrogation.

    "I''m looking for a sponsor," Ember said, begrudgingly.

    Knight Vantosia nodded his head. "And how exactly did you awaken?"

    The room grew tense at the question. She had to be very careful with how she answered. If she said a priest awakened her, she could get the Order in trouble and give the royal family an excuse to suspend the Choosing. She didn''t want to take away the hopes of commoners just based on some misguided words.

    "Was it your mentor?"

    Ember shook her head. "No." She breathed out. "When I opened my eyes from the fever, I woke up with abilities there."

    Knight Vantosia blinked in surprise but then frowned, narrowing his eyes. "You''re telling the truth but you''re hiding something."

    "I was not awakened illegally," Ember said firmly. "That''s the truth."

    Knight Vantosia frowned but nodded. "You''re telling the truth. Explain further."

    "I rather not," Ember said. "I already told you it wasn''t illegal and you know I''m speaking the truth."

    Knight Vantosia stared at her coldly and Ember stared back, refusing to be intimidated.

    The knight shook his head. "You''re playing a dangerous game, Maiden Ember."

    "All the more reason why I can''t accept your sponsorship."

    "And why is that?"

    "You can''t trust me and I can''t trust you," Ember said. "Sponsorships are limited. I doubt you want to waste one of your spots on someone you can''t trust."

    Knight Vantosia looked pensive. "That''s usually the case."

    Ember sat there, waiting to see what the knight would do next.

    "I still wish to offer you a sponsorship."If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    "Why?" Ember asked, exasperated at this point. The knight sure was stubborn.

    "I see your potential," the knight said simply.

    "I seriously doubt that would make you look past all the secrets I have."

    "You''re correct," Knight Vantosia agreed.

    Ember waited for him to continue but the knight didn''t say anything further.

    Ember gaped at him before gathering herself and shaking her head. "I refuse."

    "Why?"

    "You''ll eventually resent me for my secrets and I don''t fully trust you either."

    "That is a dilemma, but I won''t resent you," the knight said.

    Ember scoffed. "It seems even the knight of truth can lie."

    Knight Vantosia frowned. "I won''t resent you because I believe you will eventually tell me the truth."

    "You sound pretty confident."

    Knight Vantosia nodded. "Think about it. I''ll call for you in a few days and you can give me your answer then."

    "I gave you my answer," Ember said firmly.

    "And I reject it," Knight Vantosia said, simply. "Think about it and we will talk again later."

    Ember wanted to argue but she could tell by his expression he wasn''t going to budge. "You''ll have to accept my answer next time."

    The knight grunted and Ember stood up, annoyed, and made her way to the door. Once she stepped into the hall, she saw Knight Garrick and Priest Beslen outside.

    "Priest Beslen?" Ember asked.

    The priest had a bemused look on his face but before he could speak, he was being pulled into the office and the door was firmly shut behind him. This was a dilemma. It was clear that Knight Vantosia had noticed that Priest Beslen was involved. She just hoped that the priest wouldn''t reveal too much.

    She sighed and began walking to her room only to stop when she remembered that her mother was resting inside. That meant she had free time. Her first thought was to train but to do that she would need privacy. She knew Priest Beslen was keeping her soul weapon a secret and she couldn''t practice her abilities in front of anyone either. That meant if she wanted to train, she would need a private spot.

    This was when she hit another wall with Finder. Finder could find inanimate objects, unawakened and awakened creatures and people, knowledge, and abilities. It couldn''t find a general place just like it didn''t show her places she hadn''t been. It meant while it showed her where an object was it wouldn''t show her just a general place but it could show her the things in a place. So, asking it to find her a private spot wouldn''t work. It could help her find the knowledge about a private spot.

    She frowned as something occurred to her. In her past life, Finder had led her to find a safe spot to hide when she was on the run with her family. Of course, it hadn''t worked completely at the time. Mostly she asked for Finder to find empty burrows and things like that but it was technically a place and not an object, or maybe it blurred, like how a house was both an object and a place, but when she tried to use it in her past life in that way it hadn''t worked after her evolution.

    Maybe it had only worked because she had been close to an evolution. Did that mean if she pushed, she could unlock that ability? It was clear it was an evolution and probably one she could have gained instead of the find awakened creatures and people ability. That meant she would have to guide it to opening that ability on her next evolution. However, that wouldn''t happen until she was in some desperate, traumatic event based on her vision. Still, it was a good idea to keep it in mind. If she could figure out how to locate places based on just a general concept that would make it easier for her to find a land to build her kingdom.

    When Ember pulled herself out of her thoughts, she found she had wandered to the area where Patricia was staying. Instead of acolytes, two priests guarded the entrance to her room. One look at them told Ember they were warrior priests, ones that had focused on training in combat and the elite of the Orders fighters.

    Before Ember could decide if she wanted to go through the trouble of trying to get approved to see Patricia, one of the guards knocked on a door and an acolyte hurried out.

    "Please inform Oracle Patricia that Maiden Ember is here to see her."

    The acolyte nodded and scurried down the hall.

    Ember couldn''t help her surprise that they recognized her and that they immediately requested permission for her to see Patricia. Was it something Priest Beslen had set up or was it Patricia''s doing? It didn''t take long for the acolyte to return and Ember was guided down the hall to another door where they passed two more warrior priests.

    Ember was led inside to a room that was more luxurious than any room she had seen within the Order. That wasn''t to say it was on the same level as what was seen in a noble estate. The room she stepped into was a sitting room meant to accept guests. Inside were several plush chairs and a simple table in the center where food had been placed. Paintings hung on the wall and magic orbs floated in simple but beautiful pillar candle holders. Against the wall, facing the door she entered through, was a small marble rendition of the Akashic Tree.

    What really grabbed Ember''s attention about the room wasn''t its furnishing but the people in it. Patricia was sitting on a well-crafted wooden settee with soft cream cushions. Across from her, sitting in a matching settee was Lady Allyana Uniar. For a moment, Ember stared before she quickly regained her manners.

    Ember bowed to Allyana. "Honored Greetings, my Lady."

    "Oh! That was unexpected," Lady Allyana said and gestured for Ember to come forward. "Please join us."

    Ember wasn''t sure what to make of that so she drew closer but didn''t sit down.

    "You can sit," Allyana said.

    Ember sat down next to Patricia who gave her a happy but somewhat shy smile.

    "Maiden Ember, Oracle Patricia has told me so much about you."

    Ember gave Patricia a questioning look and the girl immediately blushed.

    "I told her about how you gave me your Blessing."

    Ember relaxed. She didn''t think Patricia would share with the noble about the pre-Seedling classes she gave her and Rowan, but nobles could be tricky people and Patricia was young and naive.

    "Not only did you give her your Blessing and make her an Oracle, I also heard you helped to find Meri."

    Ember was shocked to hear that the noblewoman had already heard about that. She could''ve heard from Meri but Meri wouldn''t know about her. Even Patricia didn''t know about it. That meant she would have heard about it from the knights or Priest Beslen but why would they tell Lady Allyana? She didn''t think Priest Beslen would''ve told her but the knights might have reported the situation to Count Uniar and the Count most likely informed his daughter. She looked at the woman and Lady Allyana gave her a warm smile. There were no questions or suspicions in her gaze, only a warm gratitude.

    "I thought about it and think it only right that you be rewarded for what you''ve done. I was thinking about how best to reward you. And I came up with an idea."

    She reached out and quickly grasped Ember''s hands. Ember watched her carefully. Lady Allyana''s every move and gaze felt genuine. Her eyes shone with excitement. "What do you think about getting a Blessing?"

 42 - Safe

    Ember had to stop herself from laughing. What was going on today? First Knight Vantosia and now Lady Allyana though both situations were different and so were the offers. Knight Vantosia was aware that she already had abilities while clearly Lady Allyana wasn''t. On top of that, Knight Van offered her a full sponsorship while Lady Allyana was only offering her a Blessing. It was possible she was offering a sponsorship along with the Blessing but Ember doubted it.

    "If you do decide to accept the Blessing, you would be tied to the Order," Lady Allyana continued. "But don''t worry. As long as you don''t get the Blessing ability, you can choose to leave the temple and only have to check in yearly."

    That confirmed it. She wasn''t disappointed. Lady Allyana only had so much authority and at her age, she looked around 17 or 18, and probably didn''t have the pull to give out a sponsorship. She was giving the best she could in the given circumstances and honestly, it was very generous. Generous enough that an idea began to form in her mind. Wouldn''t this be a great opportunity to give the Blessing to someone else? Rowan still had work to do before he would be ready for a Blessing but there was her mother. It was tempting but she had other plans and this could be a stepping stone.

    "Thank you so much, Lady Allyana, for the generous offer," Ember said and smiled softly. "But I have to decline."

    Lady Allyana blinked in surprise. "Why ever for? It is a great opportunity."

    "I have been offered a sponsorship," Ember said, giving her a shy smile.

    Lady Allyana let Ember''s hand go as her shoulders drooped. "Oh, well that''s a much better offer than mine."

    Ember watched the noblewoman to see if she was angry at the refusal or suspicious, but the woman was honestly disappointed. Ember relaxed a little at that. It looked so far like Lady Allyana was a sweet and honest young woman and perhaps a bit naive.

    Ember didn''t say anything and simply waited. Her patience was soon rewarded when Lady Allyana looked up at her with determination.

    "There must be something I can do for you."

    Ember''s brow furrowed like she was deep in thought and her voice came out hesitant. "Lady Allyana, I don''t think you need to give me anything."

    "Nonsense. It is the least I can do. You helped find Meri in just half a day when the guard made no progress. I have been assured that your contribution played a big part in that."

    Ember frowned a little. Did that mean that Count Uniar knew about her mapping ability? If so, he hadn''t informed his daughter it was an ability otherwise she would''ve never offered a Blessing. Still, it could complicate the situation if he did know about her ability since she didn''t have a sponsor. It looked like she might have to solve the sponsorship issue much sooner than anticipated.

    "I don''t mean to push," Lady Allyana said hurriedly, misunderstanding her frown.

    Ember smiled and shook her head. "I appreciate it, my Lady. I was having a hard time coming up with something but I didn''t want to waste your time."

    "You''re not wasting my time," Lady Allyana said quickly, giving her a sweet smile. "How about this, you can just tell me when you are ready."

    Ember''s eyes brightened. "Really? That would be alright?"

    "Of course." Lady Allyana reached for her purse and then pulled out a carved wooden coin and handed it to Ember. When you are ready you can give this to any of the Uniar guards or any priest in the Hekral temple and they will notify me of your request."

    Ember had to stop herself from grinning and instead nodded her head gratefully. "Thank you." She carefully took the coin. It was a statement that Lady Allyana owed her a favor which was exactly what she had been after. Still, it wasn''t enough for her main goal but it would work as a stepping stone.

    After that, the discussion switched to a lively conversation about the city. Allyana seemed excited to share all the popular locations. Ember expected her to talk about things that would be out of the budget of a commoner but she was self-aware enough to provide affordable options and even offered to show them around.

    Not long after that, there was a knock on the door and an acolyte came in to notify them an acolyte was there to take Allyana to see Meri. Immediately, Allyana stood up to leave and then stopped. "Why don''t you come with us, Ember? I''m sure Meri would want to talk to you. You too, Patricia. She''ll be excited to meet the Oracle."

    Ember and Patricia shared a look before shrugging and deciding to go along with the energetic noble. Outside, waiting by the warrior-priests, was an acolyte leaning against the wall looking bored. He had messy brown hair and bright blue eyes. As soon as he saw Allyana, a wide grin spread across his face that immediately widened even further when he caught sight of Ember and Patricia.

    "Oracle Patricia!" he said and immediately bowed.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Red seeped into Patricia''s cheek. "You don''t need to do that."

    "Come on, Allen. You''re embarrassing the poor girl," Lady Allyana said.

    "I''m just showing respect. Something you could learn a bit more about," Allen said, giving Allyana a playful glare before straightening up. "I''m Acolyte Allen."

    Ember was surprised at the casual tone between Allen and Lady Allyana, since he was an acolyte and hadn''t introduced himself with a title that meant he was a commoner. Ember wondered if Lady Allyana was this casual with all the acolytes in the temple.

    "Oracle Patricia," Patricia said, stepping closer to Ember. "But you can just call me Patricia."

    "I wouldn''t dare. The priest would have my head if I did anything of the sort." He gave a wary look at the warrior-priests though the way his eyes sparkled showed he wasn''t actually that intimidated. One of the priests rolled his eyes but didn''t say anything.

    Allen then turned to Ember with curiosity. "And you are?"

    "Maiden Ember. Oracle Patricia and I grew up in the same town."

    Allen nodded his head in understanding before his attention returned to Allyana. "Meri is waiting for us. She''s going to be excited to see you brought Oracle Patricia with you."

    Patricia shifted nervously. Ember caught her eye and gave her a reassuring smile and then the group headed to the temple infirmary while two warrior-priests followed behind them. It was clear the priests were for Patricia but it made Ember wonder about Allyana''s protection. So far, she hadn''t noticed any guards. The noble couldn''t be wandering around without protection, could she?

    Once they reached the infirmary, they were approached by a tall blonde acolyte who immediately moved to Allyana''s side. "I wish you wouldn''t leave me behind, Lady Allyana."

    Lady Allyana smiled gently at the acolyte. "Nonsense. I had the warrior-priests with me."

    The acolyte gave her a reproachful look and Allyana sighed. "Fine, fine. It won''t happen again." She then turned to Ember. "This is Maiden Ember and you already met Oracle Patricia. This is my personal guard, Acolyte Richard."

    He nodded at Ember and Ember couldn''t help being surprised at the information. Why would an acolyte be Allyana''s guard instead of a warrior-priest? On top of that, he was young, no older than Allyana from what she could tell.

    Allyana must have caught on to what Ember was thinking because she gave her an amused smile before her expression grew serious as she turned back to Richard. "How is she doing?"

    Richard''s expression was solemn. "Better but she''s still wary."

    Allyana nodded and then turned to Patricia. "Can you have your guards wait at the entrance?"

    Patricia nodded and meekly ordered the warrior-priests to wait close by. Richard, for his part, joined Allen who was joking around with a group of acolytes. Even so, Richard positioned himself in a way that he would be able to keep a clear view of Allyana.

    "This way," Allyana said and led the girls through the infirmary to where Meri lay in bed. She gave Patricia an apologetic look. "I''m sorry for asking your guards to stay behind. Meri gets nervous around men after the kidnapping."

    Allyana looked sober at her words but the expression vanished when they reached Meri.

    Meri was propped up by pillows as she talked with a girl beside her. Ember couldn''t say she looked any better than before. She was pale and her cornflower blond hair was stringy. There was a smile on her face but it looked tired and her brown eyes were dulled. Every once in a while, a tremor would go through her body. Still, she listened intently to her friend.

    The girl beside her looked up at them with excited blue eyes. Her chin-length auburn hair bounced as she moved. "Allyana!" She then looked at Ember and Patricia curiously before turning back to the noble. "Where''s Allen and Richard?"

    "They''re talking with some friends at the door."

    The girl frowned. "You should have brought them with you."

    "Bridget," Allyana said admonishingly, glancing at Meri and then back at the girl.

    Bridget looked annoyed. "They''re our friends. Of course, Meri wants to see them. Isn''t that right Meri?"

    Meri scrunched down in her blankets and looked away. "Maybe later."

    Bridget huffed and seemed on the verge of saying more when Allyana quickly cut in.

    "Oracle Patricia, these are Acolytes Bridget and Meri."

    Both girls turned to stare at Patricia who gave them a small wave.

    "You''re the Oracle? You''re so young," Bridget exclaimed.

    Patricia looked embarrassed.

    "What age were you expecting her to be?" Ember cut in and her voice came out sharper than she had planned.

    Ember thought Bridget''s exclamation was over-exaggerated. Patricia was 14 and Bridget and her friends were only 17 and 18 at most. The gap wasn''t that big, unlike with herself.

    Bridget looked shocked and then flushed. "I didn''t mean anything by that. I just expected her to be an adult." She looked curious at Ember. "And if you don''t mind, who are you?"

    "Maiden Ember," she said. "Oracle Patricia and I grew up in the same town."

    Bridget frowned and then looked away, her attention returning to Patricia. It was an obvious dismissal. Meri, on the other hand, stared at her in wonder.

    "You''re the one who helped save me," Meri said. Immediately, everyone''s attention returned to Ember.

    Ember shifted, uncomfortably. Her actions while saving Meri were supposed to be secret but not only Allyana but Meri knew. She thought about ignoring Meri''s statement but the girl looked at her desperately. Finally, Ember nodded.

    "You have to be kidding me. She has to be no older than ten or eleven," Bridget said.

    "Twelve," Ember corrected.

    Meri ignored Bridget and gestured for Ember to step closer. Ember reluctantly did. As soon as she was beside her bed, Meri grabbed her hands in a desperate, almost painful grip.

    "Thank you," Meri said. Her voice shook as tears ran down her cheeks. "Thank you."

    Meri''s body trembled as she began to let out harsh gasping sobs and clutched onto Ember as if she would disappear if she didn''t. Over and over again she kept saying thank you. Ember''s heart tightened in her chest and she reached out and hugged the girl tightly. Meri was shaking so hard, it felt like her bones were rattling.

    Bridget and Allyana stared, both their faces twisted in distress while Patricia watched with a knowing sadness in her eyes. Ember stroked the girl''s back, unsure what else to do. So, she held her and began to whisper in her ear.

    "You''re safe. It''s okay. You''re safe."

 43 - Busy Days

    After Meri had calmed down, she was too tired to talk further and the girls left her to rest. Allyana looked worried while Bridget appeared anxious and kept glancing back at her sleeping friend. When they were closer to the infirmary doorway, Richard joined them. His entire body was stiff and his expression solemn.

    "Is she alright?" Richard asked.

    "What do you think?" Bridget snapped.

    "Hey, no need to argue," Allen said, detaching himself from the group he had been talking to and joining them.

    Bridget flushed and glanced at Allen then looked away, folding her arms. "It was a stupid question."

    "Did she talk about what happened to her?" Allen asked.

    Allyana shook her head. "No, she was too focused on Maiden Ember."

    Allen looked at Ember questioningly. Ember considered what to say when Bridget cut in.

    "Apparently, she helped rescue her."

    Both Richard and Allen looked surprised at the news. "You were?" Allen blurted out.

    Ember groaned. "I can''t really talk about that." It was more that she didn''t want to but she already knew that the information would get around soon. She really needed to settle the issue about her sponsor.

    Allen pouted while Bridget rolled her eyes. Allyana gave her a reassuring smile before turning her attention to Patricia and not so subtly changing the subject. "How are you liking it at the temple so far?"

    Patricia jumped at the sudden focus on her. She glanced at Ember and then back at the group, gathering herself. "Everyone is nice and the priests are planning to help me with the histories of past Oracles until it''s time to go to the Capital."

    After that, the conversation became focused on Patricia being the Oracle and what it entailed. Even Ember found herself curious. Unfortunately, Patricia didn''t know much since most of her training would happen in the Capital.

    "Are you coming with us on the next district rounds?" Allen asked Allyana.

    Allyana shook her head sadly. "Father has banned me from going."

    Bridget groaned. "Ugh. That''s going to make everything so much harder."

    "District rounds?" Ember asked, curious.

    "Allyana came up with the idea to go out to the poorer districts to help those in need instead of waiting for them to come to the temple," Richard explained.

    "It makes a difference," Allyana said, her eyes gleaming. "Many of the poorer people often can''t afford to take time off to come to the temple and those that do can often find themselves unable to see a priest for several days due to...availability."

    Ember had an idea of what was going on. Nobles and the wealthy probably forced the poorer people to wait. While the Order tended to not show favoritism, that didn''t change the class system in place. No noble or gentry would tolerate a commoner being seen before them.

    "It''s a good idea," Ember said.

    Allyana flushed with happiness at her words. "You''re always welcome to join us." Then she seemed to realize that while Ember was here at the temple she wasn''t an acolyte. "You don''t have to. I mean, it''s the temple''s job, but if you like to see how it works..."

    "I would like to go," Patricia inserted.

    Everyone''s attention turned to her in surprise. Patricia flushed and leaned closer to Ember. Allyana reached over and clasped Patricia''s hand. "That''s a wonderful idea! More people are likely to come out if they know the Oracle is with us."

    "It''s too dangerous," Richard said, shaking her head. "We can''t announce that she is the Oracle."

    Allyana frowned at Richard''s words when Allen slapped the man on the back. "Then we shouldn''t mention it. She could join us as just a normal acolyte." He turned and winked at Patricia who gave him a timid smile before looking down.

    Allyana nodded and then sighed. "But I won''t be able to join you since my father won''t allow me to do district rounds."

    "Isn''t he being a bit overprotective?" Bridget asked. "You have Richard with you and if he''s really worried, he can just have the temple assign you some more guards."

    "Or she can just stay in the temple until the kidnapper is caught," Richard said. "Sorry, but I agree with Count Uniar."

    Allyana gave Richard a wounded look but the man didn''t budge.

    "Why don''t you tell your father that Patricia is going with you," Allen interjected. "She''ll have warrior-priests assigned to her so we''ll be even safer. You can''t let some creep stop us from helping people, right?"

    "Allen''s right," Bridget said. "If we hide away when there''s a bit of danger then we don''t deserve to be part of the Order."

    Allyana was bolstered by their words and straightened up with new determination. "I''ll talk to him. This is my idea and I should be part of it. I can''t expect people to go forward with it if the person who set it up isn''t willing to do the work."

    Richard frowned at everyone''s excitement but he didn''t protest and soon after they fell into talk about the district rounds. Eventually, Ember broke away from the group and made her way back to her room. Honestly, she thought it would be safer for Allyana to stay in the temple instead of going on the district rounds but Allyana was her bait to capture the kidnapper. Her job wasn''t to stop Allyana but to make sure she was with her when she was kidnapped. If she could rescue her and catch the kidnapper then she would gain the leverage she needed for her plan.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    She felt a little guilty about using Allyana as bait but she figured as long as she saved her from her fate that would be more than enough to make up for the transgression. She ignored the voice in her head that questioned what would happen if she didn''t manage to save her. That wasn''t an option so it didn''t bear considering but she would still need to make sure she had some contingencies in place.

    Ember had to put such thoughts on pause when she saw Priest Beslen waiting outside her door. She had been expecting the priest to contact her so she was both glad and annoyed to see him. Her eyes narrowed as she went through her conversation with Knight Van.

    "We need to talk," Priest Beslen said as soon as she reached him.

    Ember gave him a clipped nod and turned to her door but stopped. She wasn''t sure if her mother was still there, more than likely she wasn''t if Priest Beslen was still standing outside her door, but she wasn''t sure when she would be back. That meant if she didn''t want to be interrupted, they would need to go somewhere else.

    "Lead the way," Ember said.

    The priest nodded and began guiding them through the temple. As they moved, Ember realized she was feeling a little worn out. A lot had happened today and she needed a break to let it all soak in.

    They traveled to the office Priest Beslen had used before and as soon as the door shut Priest Beslen began talking.

    "Did you tell Knight Vantosia that you''re a Seedling?"

    "What? No. He figured it out," Ember said defensively.

    Priest Beslen groaned and plopped down in his chair. "So, he does know you''re a Seedling."

    Ember nodded. "He saw through my illusion."

    "Illusion?" Priest Beslen asked in surprise.

    Ember mentally swore at her slip-up. The priest hadn''t known about that particular skill but it wasn''t going to be a secret for much longer anyway. She leaned back.

    "I have my mapping ability and can also do illusions and use fire."

    Priest Beslen looked shocked. "All this and a priest was the one who awakened you. Not a sapling?"

    Ember shook her head. "Not a sapling. Besides, didn''t the same thing happen with Patricia?"

    Priest Beslen shook his head. "Oracles are different. They always awaken with three abilities."

    "Oh. I didn''t know that."

    "It is extremely rare for a person to awaken with two abilities when blessed by a priest and three is unheard of, though I suspected you to have a second one." He muttered the last part to himself but Ember still heard him.

    She wasn''t too surprised Priest Beslen had suspected her of having more than one ability. She knew the man was sharp. It might be a problem later but she wasn''t too worried since they would be parting ways soon. Priest Beslen would have to return to whatever temple he was part of and fortunately for her, it wasn''t the Hekral temple. The only thing she had to worry about now was whatever favor he planned in the future.

    "So what did you tell him?" Ember asked.

    "That''s what I would like to know as well," Priest Beslen said, giving her a pointed look.

    Ember rolled her eyes. "He confronted me about being a Seedling and offered me a sponsorship."

    "Didn''t he ask you how you gained a Blessing?"

    "He did and I told him I received it legally."

    "And he believed you?" Priest Beslen said in disbelief.

    "He did because it was the truth."

    Priest Beslen blinked. "What? But you said a priest gave it to you."

    Ember nodded. "I never said it was done in an illegal fashion."

    Priest Beslen looked even more confused. "Then why aren''t you registered or have a sponsor?"

    "It''s complicated."

    "That doesn''t make sense," Priest Beslen said, rubbing his forehead. He frowned and looked at her. "Care to explain further?"

    "Would you like to use up one of your favors?"

    Tension filled the air and then Priest Beslen shook his head. "No, but this is a relief. I was trying to figure out the best way to handle a rogue priest with the Blessing ability. It would''ve caused trouble within the Order."

    Ember blinked and flushed a little. She hadn''t really thought much about that. Seedlings with the Blessing ability were highly regulated though she didn''t know all the details. She did know they were afforded less freedom which made her a bit concerned for Patricia. It was clear Patricia was still set on following her but that might not be possible depending on the stipulations required by the Treaty of Brotherhood.

    That was something to think about later but for now, she had other things to concern herself with. "Your turn. What did you and Knight Vantosia speak about?"

    "Sponsorship. I told him I was trying to find you a sponsorship, stating that I think you had great potential as a Seedling. Of course, I didn''t confirm you were a Seedling. He told me he wanted to sponsor you and that he was simply waiting for your approval."

    Priest Beslen rubbed his chin in thought. "Based on what you said, he is probably planning to ask me to help him with registering you to hide the fact that you are already a Seedling."

    Ember blinked. "Oh. I guess that makes sense."

    Priest Beslen grinned. "You must have really caught his eye for him to go to such lengths for you. The man has always lived up to his moniker as the Knight of Truth."

    "It sounds like you know him well," Ember said, somewhat surprised.

    Priest Beslen nodded. "Somewhat. I knew him as a child and met him once again later in life. He has always had an upstanding character. It would not be a bad thing to have him as your sponsor though I wonder if it might be too restricting for you."

    Ember nodded. "I''m against it. I''ve told him such but he asked me to think about it. Or more like he ordered me to."

    "He can be quite stubborn when he sets his sights on something." His expression looked far away and bittersweet before refocusing on Ember. "Though I am curious why he seems so set on you."

    "He says he wants to see how far I''ll go," Ember said with a scoff.

    Priest Beslen tilted his head. "Hmm, I can understand that. I''m curious about that myself."

    Ember frowned. "Do you really think that''s his reason?"

    "That''s probably not his only reason but I do think it plays into it." Priest Beslen looked at Ember. "I don''t think you quite understand how much you stand out, Maiden Ember. That is why it is all the more important you decide on a sponsor as quickly as possible. Have you looked over the information I gave you about the two nobles?"

    Ember looked away. "Not yet."

    Priest Beslen sighed. "Please do so. And one more thing." He took out several papers and handed them to Ember. "Here is the information about Knight Vantosia since he is now one of your options."

    Ember gave him an incredulous look. "Are you serious?"

    Priest Beslen shrugged and grinned. "It''s always a good idea to have as much information as you can before coming to a decision."

    Ember rolled her eyes and took the papers. "Fine."

    "Oh! And tomorrow, the priests would like to begin their studies on your curse."

    Ember blinked. She had almost forgotten that her whole point of coming to Hekral was because of her curse. Now that she already knew the details about how her curse worked from Bird, she didn''t want to be studied but it would seem strange for her to back out now. Unless she had a good reason to and an idea formed.

    "Have they decided on the price?"

    "You''ll talk to them tomorrow about it."

    Ember nodded. It was perfect. Whatever price they required she would simply state she wasn''t capable of paying and that should be the end of it. At least that would be easy enough.

    "I have plans in the morning but I would be fine to see them in the afternoon."

    "That should be fine," Priest Beslen said.

    Seeing that the conversation was over, Ember left the office and made her way back to her room. Tonight, she would read through the information and finally decide on her sponsorship.

 44 - Experimentation

    Ember looked around her. They were surrounded by trees. "When I asked you to find a place for me to train this was your answer?"

    "What? Were you expecting some fancy training grounds? You wanted privacy and here you have it," Justine said, pushing further into the forest.

    "Are you sure no one is going to interrupt us?" Ember said, looking at Justine doubtfully.

    Justine rolled her eyes. "This is the best I can find on short notice. Plus, I''ll keep a lookout or you can see if that fancy map of yours can find something better."

    "My map doesn''t work like that. I have to have already been to the location."

    "And I''m saying that doesn''t make sense. People buy maps to find where to go, right? So why would your map be able to find everything except for places."

    Ember frowned. She had to admit she also found that strange. "Maybe it needs another level."

    Justine blinked. "What? Are you saying your map is a growth ability?"

    Ember took a deep breath and she nodded.

    Justine whistled. "Damn. You certainly hit the jackpot for abilities."

    "Yeah." She turned to Justine. She had thought about things a lot last night. She trusted her family but there were limits on what they could do for her, especially since for them they only saw her as a child. She knew Justine also saw her as a child but even so, she didn''t try to get in her way. Right now, she needed someone she could trust and who could help her towards her goal. So, she needed to make a leap of faith. Today, she would make a jump.

    "There''s something I want to talk to you about."

    Justine quirked an eyebrow. "Alright."

    She held out her hand and small globes of water, earth, air, and fire appeared above her hand.

    Justine gawked. "Wait. Wait! Are you telling me you''re a mage? You''ve got all four elements. Wait! You can also use illusions and that magic map of yours. That''s six abilities."

    "I can do more than that," Ember said.

    "More?" Justine asked like she couldn''t comprehend what Ember was saying.

    Ember shifted into stealth and right back out.

    Justine frowned and then nodded. "Seven then."

    "For now."

    "For now? What does that even mean?" Justine''s face stiffened. "Are you a noble? A secret princess in hiding?"

    Ember blinked and then laughed. "No."

    She could understand why Justine had come to that conclusion. Only high-ranked nobles and royalty were known for having so many abilities.

    "Then I don''t get it," Justine said. "How could you have so many abilities?"

    "I would like to tell you but you know doing so is pretty dangerous for me," Ember said and met Justine''s eyes. "I''ve decided to trust you but I''m not going to tell you all my secrets, at least, not right away."

    Some of the surprise on Justine''s face lessened and her voice grew serious. "I get it. You should keep this a secret as long as you can. A commoner with so many abilities and not tied to a noble will cause trouble. And you should definitely try to keep your stealth ability a secret."

    "Because of the Rakel," Ember said.

    "I forgot you knew about them but yes, them. Unless you want to work for them." Justine''s lips tightened. "They''ll do their best to have you join them and their methods are brutal."

    "I''ll be registering soon," Ember said.

    Justine looked at her in horror.

    Ember shook her head. "Don''t worry. They''ll only be able to see one of my abilities when I register."

    Justine frowned. "How? Nevermind." She shook her head. "That''s probably for the best."

    "Actually, I have plans in regards to that. I plan to get a sponsorship and state I have the mapping, Illusion, and fire abilities. I''ll notify them that my curse keeps the two abilities hidden."

    Justine nodded her head but frowned. "It makes sense if you can pull it off but why bother?"

    "I''ll need it for more freedom."

    "Being tied to a noble sounds like the opposite of freedom," Justine pointed out.

    "It''ll be a temporary arrangement and it''ll let me get into places I can''t get into as a commoner."

    Justine nodded but there was a glint in her eyes. "And you''re telling me this, why?"

    "I need someone I can trust and who could do things for me when I need them to," Ember said.

    "And you picked me."

    Ember nodded.

    Justine frowned. "Are you thinking this is the path the Akashic Tree was talking about when it gave me my quest?"

    Ember shrugged. "I don''t know. I haven''t gotten a message one way or the other. I just know you''re trustworthy and skilled, so I want you on my side."

    Justine hesitated. "That''s a lot. Things with me aren''t exactly as straightforward as you think."

    "You mean the Rakels?"The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Justine stiffened and whipped around to face her.

    "What?" Ember said, raising her hands defensively. "You just talked about how they are after anyone with stealth skills by any means necessary. I''m pretty sure you''re not an exception."

    Justine relaxed a little and nodded. "Right. And you don''t exactly have the firepower to go against them."

    "Not yet but I will," Ember said firmly.

    Justine looked at her in disbelief and then laughed. "You definitely have some guts." Justine ran a hand through her hair. "I''ll think about it."

    Ember nodded. That was good enough for her. She was hoping Justine would stick with her but she knew being tied to the nobility would be a big concern for her. Ember wanted to promise to protect her but right now she could barely protect herself. She needed to get stronger, which brought her to her current situation.

    She needed to unlock her abilities and improve the ones she already had. She had been thinking about the abilities that were still locked. Most of them were tied to the body aspect so they would be unlocked in due time as she strengthened herself. Which meant it was better for her to focus on the abilities tied to the soul and mind. She knew mind abilities worked better as the brain developed but wasn''t youth the best time to absorb knowledge? That meant that her mind abilities might not be as hard to unlock as she first thought. And if she could unlock a mind ability maybe she could also unlock the knowledge section of Keeper''s Hold.

    For now, she called up Keeper and went down the list of abilities she had. Her gaze landed on the two Shade abilities she had besides Soul Torture - Decay and Dominion. She had gotten the two abilities from two Shade-corrupted people. So, if she released them, they wouldn''t return since the Shade hadn''t tainted those two yet. The corruption she gained from those abilities was not as strong as Soul Torture so she was reluctant to give them up. They were undeniably strong abilities but perhaps it would be better for her to find abilities that were similar or just as strong. She couldn''t keep holding on to something that was corrupting her especially since she had to depend on someone doing Cleanse on her.

    Her gaze flickered away from the abilities and moved to the one she wanted to focus on unlocking - barrier. Most of her abilities so far were either offensive or utility. She was in desperate need of a defensive ability since the ones she normally would use were physical abilities. In her past life, she mostly used barriers to protect her people since her physical abilities and resistances were enough for her to handle most things people threw at her. Now she would need barriers for herself as much as for her companions.

    But how would she unlock it? She looked at the entry for it.

    ----

    <u>Barrier</u>

    The ability to produce a field of magic to prevent entry of objects. The barrier can also absorb or reflect damage.

    Status: Permanent

    Capacity: 100%

    Requirements: Soul and Mind. Mind requirements not met.

    Access: 1%

    ---

    Ember blinked. Access was at one percent. She looked back at the list and saw that Barrier was grayed out like the other abilities she couldn''t use despite it saying that she had one percent of access. Did that mean some of her abilities she actually had access to, just not enough to fully unlock it?

    This time she went through each ability and was surprised to discover that several of her abilities had an access level of one to two percent. Though a lot more were still at zero. What really grabbed her attention was that one of her abilities was at 49%.

    ---

    <u>Merge Ability</u>

    The ability to merge multiple abilities into a new one.

    Status: Permanent

    Capacity: 100%

    Requirements: Soul and Mind. Requirements not met.

    Access: 49%

    ---

    Merge ability wasn''t an ability she had used a lot in her past life. It was an incredibly useful ability but using it meant that whatever abilities she merged she would lose and she couldn''t be sure that the ability she gained would be worth it. She had used it multiple times with lackluster results. This would have been enough for her to toss it but one time she had used it to combine eagle eye, heat perception, and wolf ears and gained keen senses. Keen Senses had sharpened every sense she had making it far superior to the abilities she had given up and on top of that it took up only one slot. That meant she kept Merge Ability around on the off chance she could make something really good.

    She looked once again at the ability requirements and then frowned. It didn''t say mind requirements hadn''t been met like Barrier, just that the requirements had not been met. What was the requirement she was missing to use it? A thought came to mind. Perhaps she just needed to try merging abilities? She looked at her list.

    Would that work if she didn''t have the ability unlocked? She looked at the abilities and right away she had an idea of some she could try it on. There were several resistances she had though only two were unlocked. If she could merge them into one it would save her some slots. Still, it was chancy to do it when they were locked and she didn''t want to lose her resistances.

    I can just do it with Mind and Soul Resistance.

    The thought of losing those two resistances made her pause. Mind resistance she should be able to find again but soul resistance was rare. She had gained it in the war with Farru. It had been a fortuitous meeting with a necromancer who had the ability. Of course, she had her map to find someone who had the ability, but being able to get to them to steal it in her current state would be nearly impossible.

    She looked at the two abilities. "I''ll wait," she said and closed out keeper.

    Still, the thought of merging brought her back to Knight Garrick and his lightning. He had said combining water, air, and fire had helped him make lightning. So, it hadn''t been a completely different skill but one he had made on his own. Ember had known a person could combine skills hence why she had gained merge ability, but from the way Knight Garrick spoke it seemed that merge ability was not needed to make a new skill.

    She frowned. She vaguely recalled Viera and Tafria mentioning it but neither one had been capable of it since their talents lay elsewhere. Ember''s frown deepened. It was another gap in her knowledge. In her tyrant life, she spent most of her time collecting abilities and learning to use them. She tried learning magic when she could, but her attention had been split between gaining abilities, learning to use Mally, and fighting. Though she had grown strong there was only so much time she could spend on education when she was busy running Thralen and the Scarlet Fist. Of course, that didn''t stop her from collecting books to put into her knowledge section that she promised to read later and never did.

    I really need to fix that. But first, let''s experiment.

    She called up a ball of water, air, and fire and then tried squishing them together. In return, water splashed on her face and singed her fingers. Annoying but she didn''t expect to produce lightning on the first try. So, she tried again and again. Each time she was met with failure.

    "What are you doing?" Justine asked at one point.

    "I''m trying to make lightning," Ember stated, her brow furrowed in concentration as she held up a sphere of water and then slowly slid the flame inside, which immediately doused the flames. "Do I need a different ratio?"

    "You''re an odd one. I never seen any lightning mage do it that way."

    Ember rolled her eyes. "Knight Garrick is a lightning mage. He said you have to combine..."

    She paused as a thought occurred to her. Knight Garrick had said that to make lightning the person had to combine water, fire, and air but when he had shown it to her she hadn''t seen him combine the three. He had been fast but she didn''t think it was a matter of speed. The combining had to have happened before the elements were called.

    Did that mean he was combining them within himself? She had never even considered the possibility of doing such a thing before. How did a person combine elements within themselves before releasing them?

    Right away, she knew she was missing an important step. She considered her options. She could try figuring it out for herself. She liked the idea but if she was using the abilities within herself it could be dangerous. Maybe if she had her barrier ability, she could negate the risk. The next option was to ask Knight Garrick. He was friendly enough and she didn''t think the question would draw too much attention to herself. More importantly, it would be the fastest route.

    The thought of gaining lightning without having to use a slot really pushed the issue. She would ask Knight Garrick and if that didn''t work, she would put it on hold until she had managed to unlock her barrier ability.

    Satisfied, Ember moved on to trying to unlock her barrier. "Justine, do you mind throwing some rocks at me?"

 45 - Curse Study

    Making a barrier didn''t go as well as Ember would''ve liked. That didn''t mean that progress hadn''t been made. Her barrier access went up to five percent. The problem was that five percent was only enough for a flicker of energy in the air that blocked absolutely nothing. In the end, Ember had spent most of the time being pelted by rocks by Justine. Justine, on the other hand, had a wide grin on her face. An adult woman shouldn''t have so much glee about hitting a 12-year-old with rocks.

    Justine wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Don''t look so annoyed. At least you made progress. Honestly, I have never seen someone just decide to make themselves an ability. It really should be impossible."

    "Yeah," Ember said, distracted. Getting the barrier skill to five percent not only showed progress but indicated that if she practiced her skills, she could help unlock them faster. Essentially, Keeper was allowing her to treat all her abilities as growth skills, which brought up the question, did that mean she could evolve all her abilities?

    She was always under the impression that only certain abilities could be evolved, just like only certain abilities could grow like the elemental abilities. But Keeper was showing that at least in her case she could grow all her abilities. What''s to say she couldn''t evolve them as well? Perhaps she was being greedy but it would be foolish to at least not attempt it.

    It also meant that she needed to spend more time studying and testing out the limits of Finder''s Keeper. If evolving abilities were tied to Finder then there was a lot she didn''t understand about her ability. There was also the possibility that all abilities could grow and that Finder''s Keeper was revealing it to her. Though, that would be strange. If every ability was a growth ability wouldn''t people have figured that out? Sure, there were a lot of things the world hadn''t developed if her memories of living on Earth were anything to go by, but so many people spent their lives studying abilities. There was no way people wouldn''t have figured it out.

    Unless someone is purposely hiding that information. Ember frowned at the thought. She was being paranoid but perhaps she would look into it later.

    For now, she would have to test her theory about all abilities being growth abilities but that would have to come later. If she split her attention too much then she wouldn''t make progress in anything. Right now, she would focus on growing the abilities she currently had unlocked and unlocking her barrier. However, she would still see about talking with Knight Garrick about how he merged his abilities to form lightning. That was top on the list since she wasn''t sure when she would have the opportunity to speak with someone who could.

    "You really don''t understand how crazy what you are doing is, do you? You''re literally making your own abilities."

    Ember blinked and then shook her head. "No. That''s not what is happening at all." She looked over at Justine, realizing the woman was building some wrong ideas about her. "I already have the ability but they are locked. I''m trying to unlock them."

    Justine frowned. "Wait. Is this tied to your curse?"

    "Yes," Ember said and she realized that was actually the truth. It was more complicated than what she was implying but it was her curse of repeating her life that caused her abilities to be locked.

    Justine sighed as she dropped her arm. "That''s too bad. Here I was hoping you could help teach me how to unlock a few abilities."

    Ember blinked and looked at Justine. She didn''t seem too upset but there was definitely disappointment there. Unfortunately, this wasn''t something she could help Justine with. The Hybrid experiments had failed to produce people who could use both race blessings and abilities and this was the first time she actually interacted with a hybrid so her information was limited to what she had scrapped up in her past life which wasn''t much. After the hybrid experiments ended most of the knowledge around it had been destroyed or hidden away.

    "Sorry," Ember said. "But if I come across anything that can help, I''ll let you know."

    Justine waved her hand dismissively. "Don''t worry about it. I''m sure I would''ve found something on my own if there was a way."

    "Have you been searching for a way to gain an ability?" Ember asked curiously.

    Justine grinned. "Not at all."

    Ember rolled her eyes. "I''ll keep a lookout."

    Ember didn''t expect much but if she could at least help Justine better use her abilities it would be a boon for them both. Though Justine''s skills were already pretty damn good. Which reminded her that she had something she wanted Justine to do.

    "So, I won''t be able to leave the city for a while so I can''t go with you to monster hunt but I can provide you locations." Ember glanced up at the woman. "But I would like you to stay here if possible."

    Justine frowned. "You''re asking a lot."

    "I know I am but I''m not asking for you to do it for free."

    Justine quirked an eyebrow before nodding. "What''s the job?"

    "You would be doing small missions for me. You can think of it as a trial run for what I mentioned before."

    "What sort of missions?"

    "Anything I might need that fits your skill set."

    "That''s pretty broad," Justine said, looking at her suspiciously before shrugging. "What''s the pay?"

    "Free room and board and two copper tons a month."

    Justine scowled. "I''m worth at least a silver flat a month."

    Ember didn''t doubt that. The problem was that her funds were limited and she hadn''t set up a way to get more income coming in. "Two copper tons and I''ll extend our exclusive contract for a year."

    "Make it three copper tons with the option to renegotiate in six months as well as the year exclusive."

    "Deal," Ember said, holding back her wince. She knew that the amount Justine agreed to was more than fair. A logger made around 20 copper flats a month which would be 2 copper tons. The kind of job Ember was asking Justine to do should have cost in the silvers, so for her to do it for a little more than what a logger made was her being lenient on Ember.

    It didn''t change that it would cause a dip in her limited funds. She would have to figure out a way to bring in more money quickly. It was another problem she needed to solve. But the good thing was that it looked like Justine was planning to stick around for at least six months.

    "So what do you want me to do?" Justine asked.

    "Right now. I would like you to gather information about Lady Allyana. Her normal schedule around the temple, where she goes, and the people she spends time with."

    "You want me to spy on a noble! Are you crazy?" Justine asked, staring at Ember like her head had morphed into some monstrosity.

    "No, but I suspect she will be the next target of the kidnapper."

    Justine frowned. "Oh. Why do you think that?"

    "Don''t you think it''s strange that the kidnapper went after Lady Allyana''s friend out of all the acolytes? I don''t think that was an accident but more likely a test run. I doubt I''m the only one who thinks so. Count Uniar has been trying to keep Allyana in the temple until the kidnapper is found."

    Justine looked surprised and then pensive. "If that''s the case, then the Count already has it handled. Do you really need to get involved?"This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Yes," Ember said. "Just think of it as extra security."

    Justine frowned. "I get that you''re worried. Actually, I don''t get it. It''s not like she''s a close friend. And this is pretty dangerous. If I''m found sneaking around it could cost me my head."

    "Are you saying you won''t do it?" Ember asked. She knew it was a big ask and if Justine refused to do it, she would simply have to figure out another way.

    "I''ll do it but I think I deserve a bonus."

    "Fair. I''ll give you two silver flats once the job is done."

    Justine looked at her skeptically. "Do you even have that sort of money?"

    Ember nodded. "I''ll keep my promise."

    Justine frowned but nodded. "Fine but don''t expect me to risk my neck. I''m doing this as safely as I can."

    Ember smiled. "That''s fine. I prefer if you stay in one piece. Mostly, if you can keep an eye on where she''s going and her normal schedule that will be enough."

    "And when do you want me to report?"

    "End of day but notify me immediately if she goes outside the temple."

    "Will do."

    Ember relaxed a little when that was settled.

    "Oh, one more thing. I would like it if you provided my mother with combat training, nothing extreme but enough for her to be able to protect herself."

    "I think that''s even a bigger ask."

    Ember glared at Justine.

    Justine laughed. "Fine, but only because I like you."

    "Thank you," Ember said, softly. She knew she was asking a lot. "Let me know the times you plan to train her. See if you can plan it around times when Lady Allyana isn''t likely to leave the temple."

    "I''ll try but I can''t guarantee she won''t leave. People can be unpredictable."

    Ember nodded. She was trying to have Justine do everything and that wasn''t possible. She was only one person. "I know she works in the infirmary. I can go there and keep an eye on her at those times and you can use that period to train my mother.

    "Overly complicated but I''ll make it work."

    "Thank you," Ember said, looking at Justine gratefully but she realized that she needed more allies, specifically competent people.

    She took a breath. She was getting ahead of herself again. It was time to focus on her most pressing issues and the rest could come later. Still, she would have to see about finding a journal to keep track of what she needed.

    After their discussion, the pair headed back to the temple, splitting up at the door. When Ember returned to her room, she found it occupied by her mother, a priest she never met before, and Acolyte Bridget.

    Ember looked at Bridget in confusion before giving her mother a questioning look. Her mother smiled at Ember and gestured to the priest. "Ember, this is Priest Suant. He''ll be taking a look at your curse."

    "Sun''s light to you, Maiden Ember," the priest said as he stood. He was a thin man with a warm smile. He looked to be a little older than her mother and had an inquisitive shine in his brown eyes.

    "Sun''s light to you, Priest Suant," Ember responded with a respectful nod. Unlike with nobles, people didn''t bow to priests. While some nobles became priests, once they took the vows of priesthood their titles were discarded. The exception to that were acolytes, since they were in training and could walk away if they wished, they still maintained their titles. It was why everyone still called Allyana, Lady Allyana instead of Acolyte Allyana. As a precaution, Lady Allyana would probably stay an acolyte until her older brother took on the position of Count.

    "I heard you already met my assistant, Acolyte Bridget."

    Ember nodded.

    "Wonderful, shall we head to the research facility?" The priest said before turning to head to the door.

    The four of them followed. For a moment, Ember was surprised to see her mother join them but realized this was another situation where as a child her parent needed to attend. When they stepped into the research facility, Ember noticed another familiar face. Acolyte Allen was there talking with another priest. This priest was a short, plump woman with a messy bun on top of her head. As soon as she spotted Ember she rushed over excitedly.

    "Maiden Ember?" Then she was leaning forward, staring into her eye. "Extraordinary. I''ve never seen an Akashic symbol so well crafted."

    Ember took a step back and the woman took a step forward. Ember leaned back and before the woman could lean forward, Priest Saunt''s hand clamped down on her shoulder.

    "Priest Krindle, why don''t you introduce yourself to Maiden Ember and explain what we do here."

    Priest Krindle bounced in place. "Yes, yes. As Priest Saunt has stated, I''m Priest Krindle and I''m the Director of the Hekral Temple Research Facility and Head Priest of Akashic Symbols. Priest Saunt is Head Priest of Curse and Blessing Studies. Acolyte Bridget is Priest Saunt''s assistant. My assistant is out ill and so Acolyte Allen has volunteered to help out."

    Allen gave her a cheerful wave and Ember noticed Bridget had already moved to his side. Ember looked at Priest Krindle curiously. "What exactly will I need to do?"

    "Mostly you''ll be sitting here," Priest Krindle said as she guided Ember to a chair. "I''ll be asking you questions and observing the symbol in your eye. If needed, I''ll have you interact with some symbols. Nothing too intrusive to start with."

    "To start?" Ember asked.

    "We might try an extraction but that''s a last resort," Priest Krindle said happily.

    "That is very unlikely," Priest Saunt said.

    Priest Krindle huffed.

    "Extractions are only attempted if the symbol is life-threatening to the user or those around them," Priest Saunt explained.

    Ember nodded numbly. She didn''t like the sound of that. "I don''t think that''ll be necessary. I haven''t had any bad effects caused by the curse."

    "That you know of," Priest Krindle said and gestured for Ember to take a seat before hurrying off to grab a huge tome and setting it down in front of Ember.

    Immediately, Ember felt warmth spread through her body. It wasn''t unlike the feeling she had during the Choosing. She could feel more of the warmth travel to her right eye and settle but even stranger, she felt an even larger warmth travel to her stomach and settled there.

    "Fascinating," Priest Krindle said.

    "Huh?"

    "Oh, sorry. I was looking at the flow of your magic."

    Ember looked at the priest in surprise. "You can see that?"

    Priest Krindle nodded her head. "One of my abilities is translator. It allows me to translate any language, that includes Akashic symbols though it is a lot more difficult than translating a mundane language. I mean the first time I tried I was bleeding out of every orifice in my body."

    Priest Krindle chuckled as if she was recalling a fond memory.

    Ember cringed. "But what does that have to do with seeing the flow of my magic?"

    "Ah, yes. An Akashic symbol cannot be written without magic. It is the ink that the symbols are written in. Now, I can''t just go about seeing everyone''s magic unless the Akashic symbol is active and so I used a trigger." She gestured to the tome. "But even that wouldn''t be enough, because I would need to see it, and while I can certainly see the symbol in your eye, I can''t see your soul. At least not with the naked eye. And that''s where my second ability comes into place" she said proudly.

    "And what is that?" Ember''s mother asked.

    Priest Krindle turned to Ember''s mother with a wide grin. "I''m glad you asked! That would be Cleansing. Isn''t that wonderful? Cleansing is a blessing that is common among the Order. Cleansing helps to rid people of corruption and taint. The neglected cousin to healing. But while Healing cures the body, Cleansing cures the soul. Cleansing combined with my translator blessing allows me to see the lines of magic within a person when an akashic symbol activates with their magic."

    Ember had to admit that it was a clever use of the two abilities. She had never heard of anything like it.

    "It is quite helpful," Priest Saunt added. "Especially when looking at curses."

    Prist Krindle nodded. "Exactly, and your Akashic symbol just lit up everywhere! It really shows just how deeply rooted your curse is. I''ve never seen anything like it. A truly unique case."

    Ember''s mother paled but for Ember, this was only confirmation.

    "Does this mean there is no cure for her?" her mother asked.

    "Oh." Priest Krindle''s excitement dimmed and she looked in alarm at Priest Saunt.

    "We shouldn''t jump to conclusions. Just because a situation is unique it doesn''t mean there isn''t a solution," Priest Saunt said.

    His words soothed her mother though Ember could tell she was still anxious. Ember knew that the curse couldn''t be lifted but she didn''t want to scare her mother. She would have to explain to her about her curse when they returned to her room. Hopefully, some carefully chosen words would ease her worries.

    "Now, Maiden Ember," Priest Krindle said, recovering. "Do you happen to have another symbol? Perhaps on your stomach?"

    Ember stared at her in confusion. "No. Just the eye."

    "That''s strange. I saw a great deal of your magic circulate in your stomach." She looked thoughtful.

    "Perhaps we should check. Acolyte Bridget, can you please guide Maiden Ember to the changing room."

    "What?" Ember asked, startled.

    Bridget grabbed her arm. "Come along."

    "Don''t worry," Priest Krindle said. "This is perfectly normal."

    Ember sighed as she let Bridget guide her to a changing room. The girl smirked, obviously enjoying her discomfort, only pausing to glance at someone behind them. Ember turned to see she was waving at Allen. Bridget definitely had a crush on him. She glanced back at Allen to see him watching them but instead of the usual goofy smile, he stared at them with an intense glint in his eyes.

    "Aren''t you a bit young to be interested in boys," Bridget hissed as she guided Ember into the changing room.

    "What?" Ember asked, startled by the sudden topic.

    "I saw you staring at Allen," Bridget said. "You''re too young for him. Don''t bother."

    Ember had to stop herself from groaning. Really? She was jealous of her, a 12-year-old. Bridget glared at her before abruptly pulling her arms up.

    "Now, get undressed."

    Ember could already tell her curse study session was going to be a pain.

 46 - Sponsorship

    Bridget didn''t find anything on Ember''s belly, which prompted Priest Krindle to check herself but again nothing was found. This led to a more thorough check by the pair with her mother joining in while Priest Saunt and Allen waited outside the room. Still, no matter how much they checked, the only Akashic symbol on Ember was the one in her eye.

    Once she was dressed and back in the main room of the research facility, Ember was both annoyed and slightly embarrassed. From there, Ember found herself answering several questions given by the two priests about when she first discovered the symbol in her eye and if she had noticed any changes since then. The whole time, Allen took notes while Bridget gathered any supplies or books the priests needed.

    Ember was very careful with her answers. She wanted to start hinting that the curse hid her abilities but was hesitant since she didn''t have a sponsor yet. Again and again, she realized she needed a sponsor before questions began to come up in regard to how she had abilities. For now, she managed to dodge the issue.

    Eventually, Ember notified everyone she needed a break and reluctantly Priest Krindle agreed to see her the day after tomorrow. She originally insisted on seeing her the next day but Ember had plans of her own.

    "Before we go, I was informed that we''ll have to pay a price?" This was Ember''s opportunity to get out of the situation.

    "Price? Hmm, I suppose that is normally what happens," Priest Krindle said.

    Ember waited patiently for her to proceed. The priest looked pensive and then nodded her head.

    "Yes, that''s the best way to do it. There will be no price. The way your Akashic symbol is rooted in you is too valuable to be ignored. Don''t you agree, Priest Suant?"

    The priest nodded his head solemnly. "Indeed."

    "Then that''s settled," Priest Krindle said brightly. "I''ll see you tomorrow."

    "The day after tomorrow," Ember corrected.

    Priest Krindle sighed but nodded. "Yes, the day after tomorrow."

    Ember joined in her sigh though for a different reason. She had hoped to use the price as a way to get out of the curse research but it looked like she would have to find another excuse.

    Ember and her mother walked back to their room. Once they were inside, Ember sat her mother down and told her about what she discovered about her curse. She kept it simple, saying it was tied to her repeating her life so it wasn''t something her mother needed to worry about. Unfortunately, she didn''t think her mother completely agreed but she did seem to look less worried now that she knew the curse was directly from the Akashic Tree in order to repeat her life.

    Ember left out the part about losing her sight and possibly other parts of her body the more she repeated. She knew she needed to be honest with her mother like she promised but there was some information that was best left unsaid. Instead, she began explaining to her mother about hiring Justine and the payment she was providing.

    "Are you sure this is necessary?" her mother asked.

    Ember nodded. "Very. I''m hoping that she can also help protect Lady Allyana."

    Her mother sighed. "Why do you need to be involved, Ember? The guards are on the alert as well as the temple. Shouldn''t that be enough?"

    "It wasn''t enough before," Ember said and reached out to grasp her mother''s hands. "Trust me."

    Her mother sighed. "I do but this is hard to wrap my mind around. It''s not that I don''t believe you but to me, you are still my little girl."

    Ember smiled at her words. "I''ll always be that Mom, but I also have to help when I can."

    Her mother frowned but reluctantly nodded her head. "At least you are keeping your promise to tell me about everything." Her mother squared her shoulders. "And that''s a good thing too, since now I have to make sure I find a house that has enough room for Justine, too."

    "Thanks, Mom. I''ll leave that part to you. Also, Justine will be in charge of giving you combat training."

    "What?" her mother exclaimed.

    Ember smothered her grin. "You did say you wanted to learn and Justine is an expert."

    Her mother''s cheek twitched. "Of course. What a great idea."

    "Isn''t it?" Ember said with a grin and then called up Keeper''s Hold and pulled out the beast box. Opening the box was fairly easy since it now recognized her as its owner.

    She pulled out the remaining silver bril and handed it to her mother. Her mother watched with wide eyes. "Where did you even pull that out from?"

    "It''s part of my ability. I can store things I find but there''s a limit." Ember pulled out two silver flats from one pouch and then moved to the pouch filled with copper. She took out enough copper to cover the cost to employ Justine for a year and put it aside with the silver flats. She then took half of the copper remaining and handed it to her mother.

    "You''re giving me too much," her mother said, looking between the copper and silver bril. "I still have the money you gave me before."

    "We''ll need it to get settled here and take care of bills until we gain a more reliable income."

    Her mother rubbed her brow. "This isn''t something you should worry about. I can handle it, especially with the money you have already given me."

    "I know but just in case, besides Rowan plans to do swordsmanship training and he''ll need gear for it and to start eating more meat."

    Her mother hesitated but nodded, taking the coins and putting them in her pouch. All except one. She handed the silver bril back to Ember.

    "I have a silver bril already as well as some silver flats and tons." When Ember started to protest, her mother raised her hand firmly. "If I need more, I''ll come to you about it but for now use it for your own supplies. You can''t neglect your training if you plan to go on dangerous missions."

    Ember frowned but nodded. She took out the pouch that held the silver and gold coins and put the bril inside. Then she transferred the remaining copper into the pouch, using the now empty pouch to put the money she set aside to pay for Justine.

    Once that was settled, she put the monster box back into Keeper''s Hold before turning to her next order of business.

    She held out the papers Priest Beslen had gathered. "Want to help me pick a sponsor?"

    Her mother smiled. "Of course."

    The two began to go over the papers together and when Rowan came back, he joined them. Since her brother didn''t know how to read it ended up with him just providing comments and suggestions as he listened to them.

    "You should go with Knight Vantosia," Rowan said.

    Ember rolled her eyes. "He''s the worst choice."The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "I don''t think that''s true," her mother said.

    Ember looked at her, questioningly.

    "First, among your choices you know he is trustworthy."

    "We don''t know that," Ember said. "He could have ulterior motives."

    "And you don''t?" her mother said. "I''m not saying he''s perfect or even completely truthful but you know he will try his best to help you. So far, he has protected you from Lord Felis and Welks on multiple occasions. He hasn''t shown any intention to go after your weapon or even divulge the fact that you own it. And lastly, he has kept your secret and for all intents and purposes has offered you a sponsorship to protect you as well as because he wants to see your growth. That he is asking you instead of forcing you already says a lot."

    Ember frowned but she couldn''t deny her mother''s words. "That makes it more suspicious."

    "You''re always suspicious," Rowan piped in.

    That was true. Ember sighed. "I get what you''re saying but...the problem is with his connection to the royal family. They could catch on and then they''ll try to use me. And if I refuse to be used then what will happen to Knight Vantosia? I don''t want to repay him with trouble."

    Her mother frowned but nodded her head reluctantly. Ember knew her mother was drawn to Knight Vantosia since they knew him but his ties to the royal family couldn''t be ignored. The situation would work out better if they were tied to a lesser noble family even if they had never met.

    They talked more about the other two options only stopping for dinner. By the end of the night, Ember had made her decision and she only had one more thing to do, and that was talk to Knight Van.

    The next morning, Ember went straight to Knight Van''s temporary office but instead of having a meeting, she was notified to return in the afternoon. She was annoyed by the delay but instead grabbed Justine and went back into the woods to train. She didn''t make much progress because she couldn''t help feeling agitated about what was to come. Still, she kept going and eventually, the time came to talk to Knight Vantosia.

    As soon as she arrived at Knight Van''s office, she was guided inside where Knight Vantosia and an elderly woman sat. Ember looked at the woman in confusion before facing the knight.

    "Before we get started," Knight Van said as he stood up and moved to the elderly woman. "This is Matron Cavel, she''s an Oath Keeper."

    Ember''s eyes widened. "What?"

    "I thought about what you said about trust and felt we required her." He then turned to the Oath Keeper and held out his hand.

    The Oath Keeper took it and when she did a light began to glow around his hand. "Anything I say during this meeting will only be the truth and I will not communicate anything I hear in this meeting without permission from Maiden Ember, daughter of Mister Zeris and Matron Camila, as long as it doesn''t endanger the royal family and the people of Nivikes."

    As soon as he finished speaking a symbol rose from his hand and then swiftly moved to his chest and disappeared within.

    "The penalty?" the Oath Keeper asked.

    "Death," Knight Van said firmly, and then there was a loud click and the blue light covered Knight Van before disappearing.

    Knight Van grimaced and then moved to his desk and gestured to the Oath Keeper. The elderly woman turned and left the office.

    Ember stared at the knight in disbelief. "You really went that far."

    "I wanted you to know how seriously I take this."

    Ember could only stare. She hadn''t expected this. Not only had he made an oath but one with a death penalty. It was too much and she couldn''t help being impressed at the lengths the knight had gone.

    "Before I hear your decision there is something I want to tell you."

    Ember nodded numbly, wondering if what he was about to tell her would be as head-spinning as the oath.

    Knight Van focused in front of him and then gestured to the air. "Can you see this?"

    Ember looked at the air but there was nothing there. "I don''t see anything."

    The knight nodded. "I suspected that might be the case." He looked at Ember. "Like Oracle Patricia, I have a quest."

    Ember stared. "A quest from the Akashic tree?"

    Knight Van nodded. "Yes, and that quest is directly tied to you."

    Ember blinked and the room was silent as she soaked in what the knight had said. The Akashic Tree had given him a quest tied to her. What was going on? Ember had to take a deep breath to steady herself.

    "What is the quest?"

    "I rather not say due to the possibility of it affecting the quest," the knight said. "But I can promise that it isn''t anything harmful to you."

    Ember suspected it wasn''t but she still felt relieved hearing it though she wondered exactly why he couldn''t tell her. "Is that why you want to sponsor me?"

    "I can''t say it doesn''t affect my decision but it is not the main reason I wish to sponsor you. Like I mentioned before, I feel like you have potential and I want to see that potential be realized. It''s more than that. It''s like I need to see it."

    Ember sucked in a breath and then looked down at her lap. A need? She wondered if the Akashic Tree was the reason for that. She frowned. No, if the Akashic Tree was manipulating people''s minds then it wouldn''t need to give out quests. So, was there another reason?

    "With that in mind, it''s important I inform you of the reward I will receive for fulfilling the quest."

    "You''re going to tell me the reward but not the quest?"

    Knight Van nodded. "If I don''t then you won''t be able to trust me."

    Ember nodded and the knight continued.

    "The reward was a Token of Gratitude and my possible survival."

    Ember stiffened and her eyes widened. Knight Van was saying more but all Ember could think about was the possible survival. In both her lives, Knight Vantosia had died while fighting the Dawneater, but the Akashic Tree was hinting that he could survive and she was tied to that survival.

    Ember wanted to reject the thought because if she didn''t she had to decide whether to walk away and leave Knight Van to his fate or to step in and possibly change his future.

    "Is your quest to take me as your sponsor?"

    "No," Knight Van said.

    Ember felt relieved but it was short-lived. Sure, she could pick a different sponsor but it wouldn''t change that in order for Knight Van to complete his quest her presence was needed. She groaned and flopped back in her seat.

    Knight Vantosia looked at her and frowned. "Perhaps this is too much to put on someone so young."

    Ember waved her hand dismissively. "It''s too late for regrets." She rubbed her forehead. "Knight Vantosia, as you can probably guess, I''m tied up in a mess with the Akashic Tree. I don''t know exactly what it wants but with how things are I can''t say this won''t end with a possible clash. You want to be my sponsor but what if my goals clash with those of the royal family?"

    Knight Van stiffened and his hand went to his sword hilt and his eyes began to glow. "Are you saying the Akashic Tree wants you to go against the royal family?"

    Ember knew she had to be careful how she answered this. "There is a monster called the Shade. They are a dark force in direct conflict with the Akashic Tree. They corrupt everything they touch and that includes people, but they are much more insidious than you can imagine. One of the ways they corrupt is through abilities. They offer people powerful Shade abilities and corrupt them from the inside. In the royal family, can you guarantee that there aren''t people that might have given into that corruption?"

    Knight Van gritted his teeth before his brow furrowed in deep thought. Finally, he let go of the hilt of his sword. "Why have I never heard of the Shade?"

    "Most of them are hidden and it will be years before they become obviously active."

    "How do you know all this?"

    "It''s because of my ties to the Akashic Tree."

    "But you''re a child. What does the Akashic Tree expect you to do about this?"

    Ember shrugged. "I''ve been wondering that myself." In neither of her lives, had she had any direction of what to do and it was only recently, through Bird, that she even discovered that everything was tied to the Akashic Tree but one thing she did know for sure. "I think I''m supposed to stop the world from being destroyed."

    Knight Van stared at her in disbelief, his blue eyes glowing. He then closed them and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "This is unbelievable."

    "You''re the knight of truth."

    "Yes, but that only means that you think what you''ve said is true. You could be delusional."

    Ember''s lips tightened but she didn''t say anything.

    Knight Van sat there for a moment and then straightened up as he came to a decision. "I am loyal to the royal family and that won''t change. But that doesn''t mean I can''t see their flaws and try to guide them to a better path." He stood up, putting his hands behind his back. "And it is clear the Akashic Tree wants me to get involved. More than that, what kind of man would I be to send a child to fight alone. My offer to sponsor you still stands and I will help you fight the Shade as well."

    Ember couldn''t believe it. Knight Van had accepted her story. Sure, she knew there was still doubt but he was willing to try. Though this could be an excuse to keep an eye on her she couldn''t deny that having Knight Van as an ally would help her greatly and might even prevent the rising of the Vantosia Crusaders.

    Her misgivings about accepting Knight Van''s sponsorship were still there but now they were combated by the benefits. She would gain the benefits and resources provided by not just a noble but a royal knight. Still, there was one thing she needed to make clear.

    "I have a condition," Ember said.

    "What is it?"

    "No matter what happens to me, you must try to the best of your ability to protect my family."

    "I won''t pick your family over my royal charge."

    "I''m only asking that if they are innocent they should be protected."

    Knight Vantosia frowned but nodded.

    Ember smiled. "Then shall we make a contract?"

 47 - Registration

    It took most of the day for them to hammer out the details of the contract. When they had most of the details worked out, Ember sent for her mother who looked over the contract and pointed out some items to rework. Ember had been a little surprised by this. She knew her mother had some education but it seemed she was good at handling contracts. It gave her some ideas.

    Once they were finished, her mother looked at the contract thoughtfully. She nodded her head in approval before turning to Ember. Ember took a deep breath and focused back on Knight Van.

    "There is one more thing I would like to talk with you about."

    Knight Van nodded his head for her to proceed.

    Ember paused. She needed to make sure not to lie while also not giving too much away. Though she was starting to trust Knight Van it was better to keep her ability as much a secret as possible. Still, there were certain things she wouldn''t be able to hide.

    "I have more abilities than I have let on," Ember said.

    Knight Van raised his eyebrow but didn''t look too surprised. "What are they?"

    "You already know some of them. My mapping skill." She called up the skill and a glowing golden map appeared. "It has some restrictions but it allows me to find things." She dismissed Finder. "You are already aware of my illusion ability."

    She hesitated on mentioning her sleep ability but the knight already suspected it so there was no point in hiding it. "I also have a sleep ability but it is very weak. The abilities you aren''t aware of are my elemental abilities."

    Like Ember had done many times before, she called up a ball of each element. As soon as she did, Knight Van''s eyes widened.

    She didn''t stop there. "I also have a barrier ability but it''s weak." Though the barrier skill wasn''t unlocked yet, she planned to develop it as much as possible and if Knight Van was going to train her, she wanted to do it with that skill in mind.

    Knight Van''s usually stoic face was filled with shock that even he couldn''t hide. He shook his head. "That''s eight abilities and you haven''t touched a sapling. No, even touching a sapling has a limit. You need to have touched the Akashic Tree to have so many."

    Ember didn''t say anything as she let the knight form his own conclusions. Finally, Knight Van gathered himself and his usual stony expression returned. "You''re going to draw a lot of attention."

    "I don''t plan on revealing all of my abilities."

    Knight Van sighed. "That''s not how registration works. You can''t hide your abilities."

    "We''ll see."

    Knight Van frowned. "Are you saying you have a way to hide your abilities?"

    "It''s not something I purposely do," Ember said and winced. It wasn''t a lie but it also wasn''t completely the truth.

    Knight Van''s eyes glowed.

    Ember sighed. "It''s not something I have control over but I find it useful."

    "True," Knight Van said and the glow faded from his eyes. He looked thoughtful and then nodded. "If you do manage to hide it, that''s fine, but I''ll have to at least report your abilities to Prince Liam."

    "I understand."

    Ember expected that so she only nodded her head. Prince Liam was the prince that Knight Vantosia worked for. He was the third prince of the six children of King Galari and was not in the running for the crown. Usually, the eldest child was automatically given the right of crown prince. The problem was the firstborn of the king was one of a set of twins. Technically, Prince Corrin was the eldest of the twins but Prince Abel had a strong following and so there had been unrest about who should hold the title of crown prince, dividing the court into factions. Ember didn''t know which faction Prince Liam belonged to. He had been long dead before she got involved with the royal family in her previous life.

    After Prince Liam''s death, Knight Vantosia had worked directly with King Galari and it was common knowledge that he would be assigned to whoever became the next king. Unfortunately, Knight Vantosia died before that happened.

    "Good," Knight Van said. "Then tomorrow we will complete your registration."

    Ember nodded and they finished up. Once they returned to their room, her mother turned to Ember.

    "Are you sure you shouldn''t have told him everything about your ability?"

    Ember nodded. "Yes. If I had told him everything, he would have to report it to Prince Liam and then I would find myself a puppet."

    Her mother let out a sigh and nodded. "You''ll have to be careful."

    Ember hugged her mother. "I will."

    After that, they spent the rest of the day together with Rowan joining them. Rowan was ecstatic when he heard the news about her accepting Knight Vantosia as her sponsor.

    The next morning, Ember was woken by a persistent knock on the door. When she answered the door, she was surprised to see Knight Vantosia, Knight Garrick, and Priest Beslen outside. She looked at the group in confusion.

    "Registration," Knight Van said simply.

    "Right now?" Ember asked.

    Knight Van just looked at her. Ember sighed and nodded. She started to turn away to get ready when Knight Garrick cleared his throat. She turned to him and he flashed her a smile.

    "I''m here for Rowan."

    Ember blinked and then nodded. "It''ll just be a moment."

    She closed the door behind her and then woke up her mother and Rowan. Her mother looked surprised but hurried to get ready. Rowan resisted getting up until Ember mentioned Knight Garrick was waiting in the hall for him. Rowan immediately shot up and started scrambling to get himself together.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The three of them made quick work of getting dressed and were soon out in the hall. Knight Garrick waved at Rowan.

    "Ready to start training?"

    "Yes, sir!" Rowan shouted, his entire body vibrating with excitement.

    Knight Garrick chuckled and gestured for Rowan to follow him. Rowan shouted good luck before darting down the hall.

    "Shall we?" Priest Beslen said, with an amused expression on his face.

    Knight Van nodded and led the way.

    Ember watched Knight Van curiously. She was surprised he had personally come to get her instead of sending someone but perhaps this was him showing how much he valued her as his candidate.

    "Why didn''t you tell me you decided to take Knight Vantosia as your sponsor?" Priest Beslen asked.

    Ember blinked and then flushed. "Sorry. I forgot."

    Priest Beslen laughed. "Well, that''s fine though the nobles will be disappointed."

    Knight Vantosia glanced at Priest Beslen before looking away in annoyance. This made the priest laugh even harder. It was clear Priest Beslen was trying to rub it in Knight Van''s face that she confided in him first. Ember had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at his antics.

    The group of them stopped in front of a door guarded by two warrior-priests. There they each stated their names and then were allowed inside. Inside was an empty room where two priests stood. Priest Beslen joined them.

    "The three of us will do the confirmation and registration. First, we''ll start with the confirmation. Knight Vantosia, please step forward."

    The knight stepped forward and then he went through a process where the knight handed over a silver emblem. The priest took it and then went through a door. Once he returned, he nodded and handed the silver emblem back to Knight Vantosia.

    "Now we will move on to registration. Maiden Ember, please follow. Everyone else, wait here."

    Priest Beslen and the other two priests led the way through a door that opened to a stairway leading down. The three of them silently climbed down the stairs until they reached another door that was guarded by more warrior-priests. One of the warrior-priests opened the door and the group walked into a plain circular room where a glowing orb sat on a pedestal.

    "This is the knowledge orb," Priest Beslen said. "It will notify us of your gifts. You simply have to touch it."

    Ember felt a wave of nervousness. It was her first time interacting with a knowledge orb. They were special artifacts that could read the abilities of a person and store the information. The orbs were connected to a larger orb held within the royal palace which contained all knowledge of every person who obtained a Blessing and their abilities.

    That was when things got tricky. She wasn''t sure if the orb would reveal her levels or would only contain her general information. She wanted to avoid revealing her level system because then her ability to collect other abilities would be discovered, but she was almost sure that she was safe in that regard. In her past life, there had been many people who knew the general information about a person''s abilities but didn''t know the details, which hinted that only general knowledge was obtainable.

    Ember frowned. But if that was the case, that meant Lord Felis''s Inspect ability was a lot stronger than she had realized. Maybe that was why he had someone powerful willing to work with him. Ember really wished she had some way to permanently take the ability away. It was too good to leave it with that creep.

    "Maiden Ember, you may proceed to the orb. Do not remove your hand until we tell you to do so."

    Ember''s head jerked up and she nodded, swallowing down her nervousness. She walked towards the pedestal while the priest watched her. Once she stood before it, she took a deep breath. It was time. She pressed her hand against the orb.

    The orb began to crackle as it glowed brightly then several thin branches sprouted up from the orb and began twisting together until they were shaped into a square. Smaller branches spread throughout the square forming words.

    The words read, "Ember of Goros, Finder''s Keeper, Level 5."

    The room was quiet and then behind her the three priests each spoke.

    "Confirm."

    "Confirm."

    "Confirm."

    "Maiden Ember, you may remove your hand."

    Ember dropped her hand, relieved. It looked like despite her worries, the orb only told general information, though she had rather hidden the fact that her ability was already at level 5.

    "You have an interesting ability, Maiden Ember. I have never heard of Finder''s Keeper and it''s a growth ability as well," one of the priests said.

    There was a murmur behind her as the priest spoke among themselves. Ember took a deep breath and then turned to the priest. Here came the next part of her plan.

    "It''s a mapping ability," Ember said. "But it isn''t the only ability I have."

    Silence spread through the group. The priests looked skeptical while Priest Beslen looked amused.

    "Another one," one of the priests muttered.

    "I can demonstrate." And without waiting for them to accept, she held out her hand and a ball of flame appeared.

    Instead of the surprise she expected, she received a scowl from one priest and a look of exasperation from the other.

    "Do we really have to play along with these games?" one of the priests said.

    "Maiden Ember, it is best that you don''t lie. You''ll be punished if we start the identification process."

    Ember was truly confused. This wasn''t the reaction she expected after demonstrating her ability. "I''m not lying."

    "Then are you saying the orb is broken?"

    "No," Ember said, and she couldn''t help the irritation in her voice. She pointed at her eye. "I have a curse. I think it is preventing my other abilities from being shown."

    "But it allows one of your abilities to be shown?"

    "Yes," Ember said. "I don''t know why it is that way but I came to the temple to get it looked at."

    "Are you sure?" the priest said. "Once we start the investigation, if you are found to be playing some sort of trick you will be punished."

    Ember didn''t know why they were so sure she was lying but she nodded her head anyway. "I''m sure."

    One of the priests huffed while the other gave Priest Beslen an irritated look. Priest Beslen had put his hand to his mouth and it was clear he was trying to suppress his laughter. Finally, he managed to contain himself and straightened up.

    "Let''s begin. Shall we?"

    Ember wasn''t sure what was happening but after that one of the priests stepped out of the room and they stood there awkwardly waiting. Ember caught Priest Beslen''s gaze but the priest just shrugged. Ember still wasn''t sure what was going on but the longer she waited the more dread built up inside her.

    Twenty minutes later, two female priests arrived and guided Ember to an empty room. There they proceeded to strip her and search her body. Ember was mortified. It was like what happened at the research facility all over again. Once they had taken everything she was wearing, they had her dress in the white robes given to acolytes and guided her back to the room where the orb was held.

    "Now, show us again."

    By this point, Ember figured out what was happening. They thought she had used a magic item to pretend she had more abilities than she did. She straightened up and held out her hand and again a flame appeared.

    The priests went quiet. One looked surprised while the other looked doubtful. "Did they really check her thoroughly?"

    Ember frowned. She also intended to register her illusion ability but since it was clear it would only cause more doubt, she instead decided to focus on the elements. It would also make it easier for her to try to learn lightning from Garrick. Still, having more than three abilities would draw too much attention to her and since she already revealed fire and her mapping ability, she needed to decide what the last one would be.

    Ember held out her hand, revealing a water orb. "I have both fire and water elements as well as my mapping ability." She called up Finder, displaying it before making the map and the elements disappear.

    Stunned silence filled the room.

    "Impossible," one of the priests said.

    "We should check the orb."

    "She needs to be checked again."

    Priest Beslen started laughing.

    Ember sighed. It was going to be a long day.

 48 - Training

    Ember groggily opened her eyes to see Rowan staring down at her with an excited grin. "Time to get up!"

    Ember pushed his face away but she didn''t go back to sleep. She couldn''t. Today was the first day of her training. After spending most of yesterday being poked and prodded, the priests had registered her as having one confirmed ability and two unconfirmed abilities. It was decided that she would have to go to the Merclen temple to have the other abilities confirmed. Despite not finding any trickery, the priests didn''t have the authority to confirm abilities that even the orb couldn''t see. Since the temple in the capital was higher in authority, they would have to approve it. The priests were also planning to have someone from the capital check the knowledge orb just in case.

    For the most part, the situation wasn''t a problem. It actually kept her abilities hidden. The only issue was that she wouldn''t be ranked until her other abilities were confirmed in the capital. Again, this wasn''t too much of a problem since it helped to give her independence. It did mean she wouldn''t be accepted into magic schools or have the benefits that having a rank provided.

    In the end, it was a huge weight off her shoulders. She could now use her abilities publicly, at least part of them. As to the rest, she had an idea regarding that but she wanted to wait a while to see how things panned out.

    Another good thing that came out of yesterday''s events was that she was able to skip her appointment at the research facility. Her mother sent an acolyte to notify them about her delays with registration and that another appointment would be scheduled at a later date. If she had her way, she would simply avoid them until her family moved out of the temple.

    Besides, she had more important things to think about. Today would be her first day of training with Knight Vantosia. Rowan would also be joining her. She had found out from Rowan that yesterday he had spent the day doing different exercises instead of learning any sword techniques. Knight Garrick had explained it was to gauge his level and so Ember figured she would be going through something similar.

    The two hurried to get dressed and have breakfast before making their way to the entrance hall. There, Knight Garrick was waiting for them and gestured for them to follow him as they left the temple.

    "Where are we going?" Ember asked, curious.

    "We had to rent out a training area since we can''t use the temple''s. We can''t interrupt their training schedule."

    Ember nodded as the three of them continued their trek through the city until they reached a hall located a few yards from the poorer district. The trio went inside and right away, Ember realized they were in a mercenary hall. It was a mismatched group of men and women, clearly rough around the edges. A few people looked them over though most of their attention was focused on Knight Garrick.

    Garrick didn''t give them a second glance and instead walked through another door that opened to the training yard.

    There stood Knight Vantosia, waiting for them. As soon as he saw them, he barked out an order. "Run laps around the yard until I tell you to stop."

    The pair starred in surprise but Ember quickly recovered and began running. A moment later, she heard Rowan behind her. Her brother quickly sped past her but Ember kept at a set pace, making sure to push it to more than a jog since she was sure Vantosia was serious about her running.

    Rowan ran three laps before he started to lag and after his fourth lap, Van called him over and directed him to Garrick. Ember managed to complete eight laps before she was called over by Van though she was heavily panting by the time she reached him. She was definitely out of shape, especially since she had the physical advantage of being a Seedling.

    "What weapons can you use?"

    "Most hand-to-hand weapons."

    "Details."

    "Sword, shield, dagger, axe, mace, spear, and staff," Ember said.

    "Can you use them without using Mally?"

    Ember hesitated. She could but she knew it would be strange since she had implied that Mally helped her learn to fight. Of course, that had been a lie. It was knowledge from her previous lives that had taught her. She could pretend to be a beginner but it would be a waste and she needed to improve.

    "I think so," she said, letting her voice sound hesitant.

    Knight Van nodded and pointed to a rack filled with training weapons. It mostly had wooden swords and spears. Since the training hall was owned by a mercenary group most of the people who trained there would be sharpening their skills with weapons they were already familiar with so there wouldn''t be the variety that a place dedicated to training would have.

    "Grab a training weapon and attack the pole." Knight Van gestured to one of three beaten-up wooden poles that stood to the left of the open field.

    Ember nodded and decided to start with a sword. Finding a training weapon that wasn''t too heavy and worked with her height was a little difficult but she found one that wasn''t too awkward. Taking the weapon, she walked to the pole and immediately moved into a fighting stance. Then she lunged with the sword, whacking the pole with her blade in a flurry of strikes and slashes.

    She attacked the pole for a good five minutes before Knight Van told her to stop and she switched to the spear. Instead of attacking the pole, she instead did some open-air thrusts.

    "Enough," Knight Van said, calling the demonstration to a halt.

    Ember stopped and to her surprise she found herself panting slightly. She frowned. The attacks hadn''t been too strenuous, especially compared to the fights she had with Welks or the blood leeches. When she thought about it, she realized she had spent most of the time using magic in her fight with Welks, and with the blood leeches the adrenaline and her father carrying around probably negated most of the stamina lost.

    "It''s clear you need to train your body before I can teach you any techniques. Going forward we''ll be focused on building your stamina and strength." Knight Van turned to Garrick. "Knight Garrick, Maiden Ember will join your training."

    "That works for me."

    Ember sighed. She couldn''t help feeling disappointed but she knew what Knight Van said was true. She turned to join Knight Garrick and Rowan but Vantosia stopped her.

    "You''ll start your training tomorrow. First, there are a few things we need to discuss."

    Ember nodded and waited for Vantosia to explain.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    "I have a schedule planned for you but I know you are taking lessons with a mage."

    "Oh," Ember said and paused. If she kept up the pretense of working with a mage then she would have more time to practice magic on her own but if she admitted to not having training with the mage it was likely that Vantosia might assign her a magic tutor.

    Her gaze drifted to Knight Garrick. The thought of learning to use lightning was too much of a temptation to let it slip away.

    "I am no longer under her tutelage."

    Knight Van looked surprised. "Why is that?"

    "When I accepted your sponsorship that ended the relationship with the mage."

    Knight Van frowned but he nodded in acceptance. She was glad he hadn''t decided to use his truth ability on her since that was definitely a half-truth.

    "I''ll look into finding you a tutor but it might have to wait until we get to the capital."

    Ember blinked in surprise. "We''re going to the capital?"

    Knight Van looked at her in confusion. "Yes. That''s where I''m stationed and as your sponsor, you''ll have to go with me."

    Ember gaped and then silently swore at her stupidity. She had been so focused on setting boundaries around the royalty and everything else she had completely forgotten that she would need to move to the capital once she accepted Knight Van as her sponsor.

    "When are we expected to leave?" Ember asked warily.

    "That is undetermined at the moment. The Count has requested our help with catching Acolyte Meri''s kidnapper, so we have decided to stay to do so or until Prince Liam calls me back."

    Ember let out a sigh of relief when she heard that.

    "You seem reluctant to leave," Knight Van said.

    "My father..."

    Knight Van looked thoughtful and then nodded. "I understand." Instead of saying anything else, Knight Van turned and gestured for Ember to follow him.

    Ember couldn''t help feeling disappointed that Vantosia hadn''t offered to help her free her father. She knew that even as her sponsor he wasn''t required to handle the issue. He had promised to protect her family but it was only with the clause of if they were innocent. Her father was innocent but he had attacked a guard which was enough for Lord Felis to hold him.

    She sighed but reassured herself. She had a plan and it was something she would be able to do without Vantosia''s help. Feeling a little better, she continued following Vantosia as he led them out of the mercenary hall, leaving Rowan and Knight Garrick behind. The pair continued walking through the city until they reached the guard barracks near the east wall.

    They stopped in front of a guardhouse next to the barracks. Vantosia turned to Ember. "The city guard has requested your help after discovering your involvement in saving Meri. I want you to work with them so you can get a better handle on your Finder Keeper''s ability. How deeply you wish to get involved with the guard I leave up to you. Whatever you decide, you will have to work around your training schedule."

    Ember looked at Van in surprise. She expected him to dictate a set schedule and have her follow it but that he was giving her this sort of leeway showed he wasn''t as inflexible as she thought. He had been making compromises for her since the beginning and she was only now realizing it. Maybe her encounters with the Vantosia Crusaders in her past life had clouded her judgment.

    "Okay."

    "I already talked to the guard so you can go from here. Return to the temple once you are finished and report to me."

    Ember nodded her head. "Yes, sir."

    Vantosia smiled at her response and then walked away, leaving her to handle the rest. A part of her wondered if this was a test. Even if it was, she would use it to her advantage. Gathering herself, Ember made her way into the guardhouse.

    Inside, two guards stood behind a counter talking while another guard spoke with a man bound in shackles. Ember went up to the counter causing the guards to fall silent.

    "Can I help you, little girl?" One of the guards asked.

    Ember grimaced at the form of address but plastered a smile on her face. "Knight Vantosia sent me here. I''m supposed to speak with someone about helping."

    Both of the guards stared at her and one finally spoke up. "Is this a joke?"

    Ember looked at the man confused. "What?"

    The guard looked above her, searching around but when he didn''t see anyone else, his attention turned back to her.

    "Are you saying you''re the person who helped rescue the girl from the kidnapper?"

    "Yes," Ember said, not bothering to explain how she had helped.

    "Seriously? You''re a kid."

    Ember couldn''t help the wave of annoyance. "I''m aware of my age or have you decided you don''t want my help after all."

    The guard opened his mouth but the one next to him elbowed him in the side. "Stop it, Henry." He turned to Ember. "I''ll get the lieutenant. Can I have your name?"

    "Maiden Ember."

    The man nodded and entered a door behind the counter. Henry, on the other hand, stared at her. Ember glared back and the man grinned.

    "You really saved that girl?"

    Deciding not to draw too much more attention than she already had, she decided to downplay her involvement. "Yes, but I wasn''t alone."

    "Figured as much," the guard said, smugly. "There isn''t much a kid can do."

    Ember ignored him. The guard kept talking but Ember pretended not to hear him. She got the feeling she was going to run into a lot of people who would look down on her because of her age.

    After what felt like an eternity, the guard returned with his lieutenant. When the man saw her there was a moment of confusion. "Who are you?"

    "I''m Maiden Ember. Knight Vantosia said you requested my help."

    The lieutenant scowled but nodded. "Follow me."

    The man turned around, not waiting for Ember to catch up to his long strides. Ember felt herself growing more and more annoyed by the situation. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

    Once they reached his office, the lieutenant sat down behind his desk and stared at her. "When I spoke to Knight Vantosia, I was informed you were pivotal in finding the kidnapped girl. I have to say, this is a little hard for me to believe given your age but since Knight Vantosia has vouched for you I can only accept that it is true. So given that information, you must have an interesting ability."

    "I do. It is a mapping skill that allows me to find things, including people."

    A flicker of interest shone in the man''s eyes. "Show me."

    "Finder," Ember said and the map appeared.

    The lieutenant stood up and walked over to Ember, looking over the map as he did. "How does it work?"

    "I ask Finder to find an item and it''ll show its location on the map. I cannot already know where the item is in order to find it. Also, when it comes to people. I have to know their name to find them. I can''t find people based on descriptions. It also has to be a real name and not a nickname."

    "That is restrictive but still useful. What about items?"

    "I can find anything but it has to be very specific or several items will show up."

    The lieutenant nodded his head. "That would indeed be useful."

    He paused. "We''re looking for a location..." He trailed off as Ember shook her head.

    "I can''t find locations I haven''t been to. I believe that''s the exploration part of my map. I have to explore an area to see it on my map. I can still find an item even if I haven''t been to the location, just the location will look blank on my map."

    The lieutenant looked disappointed but nodded. "Despite the limitations, I think we can still use your ability."

    Ember nodded her head. "I imagine it would be useful in cases of theft and kidnappings."

    "Yes and other things."

    Ember looked at him curiously.

    "Knight Vantosia has notified me that he would like you to work a minimum of 5 hours a week for the guard, but he has informed me that you can work longer as long as it doesn''t affect your training."

    "That''s correct."

    "Are you interested in working more than that?"

    "It depends on the compensation."

    The lieutenant looked surprised and then shook his head. "Aren''t you here to gain experience?"

    "I am but the guard isn''t the only way to gain experience. I''m sure Monster Hunters would also find my skills useful." She let that sink in.

    The lieutenant frowned.

    Before he could say more, Ember continued. "Of course, working with the guard is my first choice. I want to help the people in the city after all."

    The lieutenant relaxed at that but there was a wariness in his gaze. "How much are you looking for in compensation?"

    Ember grinned.

 49 - Friend

    After her talk with the guard lieutenant, Ember agreed to work 10-20 hours a week with the ability to adjust her schedule to help out with work at the temple. Of course, her work at the temple was an excuse to keep close to Allyana. She also hoped that her connection to the guard would give her valuable information that would help her to predict where the kidnapper might go after Allyana and beat the guard to the chase.

    While the city guard hadn''t managed to find the kidnapper in the past, now that the knights were getting involved in the investigation there was no guarantee that they wouldn''t find the kidnapper. With Justine''s watch on Allyana and Ember''s activity with the guard, she was closer to stopping the kidnapping. Despite that, she felt nervous. A part of her wondered if she was wrong for leaving Allyana as bait. It would be better to notify Allyana and the Count of her suspicions but she needed to be the one that saved Allyana if she was to get what she needed. She shoved the guilt away and began making her way back to the temple to report to Knight Vantosia.

    "You demanded compensation?" Knight Vantosia questioned.

    "Was I supposed to work for free?" Ember asked back.

    The knight shook his head. "You would think that I wasn''t providing you a monthly stipend."

    Ember flushed. She must come across as greedy but with the plans she had she wasn''t making nearly enough money. Still, it wouldn''t do for Knight Vantosia to think she only cared about money, especially when he was offering her a monthly stipend of one silver flat a month, one he had already paid in advance. It was the amount a squire made right before they became a knight. Knights made even more depending on their rank and value. Of course, it was nothing compared to the 10 silver flats Lord Felis had offered Patricia when offering her sponsorship but healers were in a league of their own.

    On top of that, she worked out a rate of 1 copper bril a week with the city guard. It was more than most but definitely less than she could have dragged out of the guard. She would''ve made a lot more working with monster hunters but unbeknownst to the guard she had already agreed to an exclusive contract with Justine.

    "Knight Vantosia, the amount I demanded from the guard was drastically less than my value and was only required in order to gain respect."

    "And how have you gained respect by demanding money? I would think it quite the opposite."

    "The guard looked down on me for my age when I arrived and this attitude would likely linger. Now that I am paid for my work that''s a clear sign of my value. Of course, this won''t give me automatic respect but it will lay the foundations for people to look past my age and focus instead on my skill."

    Knight Vantosia nodded his head. "I can see your point but couldn''t that respect have also been earned through your deeds?"

    "That''s true but that is a much slower process and I don''t know how long we''ll be staying in Hekral. This was the quickest route to draw attention to the work I will provide."

    Knight Van studied her and then gave a short nod. "Fine. I will accept it. Your training schedule will be determined tomorrow." He paused. "There is one more thing. I have a tutor in mind to help you with your magic and I would like to tell them about your abilities, all of them."

    Ember stiffened and then relaxed. "Do you trust them to keep the knowledge private?"

    He nodded. "I do and I believe they would be best able to guide you in using magic with your weapon."

    Ember nodded her head. "Then I will trust your judgment."

    Knight Vantosia nodded. "I will see you tomorrow for training. Dismissed."

    Ember left the office and felt relieved that Knight Van hadn''t assigned her any tasks for the day.  However, she got the impression she would be extremely busy starting tomorrow. Still, it was a good thing. The training would make her stronger. She had been strong in her last life but she knew it was a mix of brute strength and her ability to switch skills that kept her going. How much stronger could she get if she actually learned magic and was trained by a knight instead of picking up things as she went?

    She grinned at the thought as she made her way to her next target. A few minutes later, Ember was standing in the hall waiting to be allowed to see Patricia. It didn''t take the priest warriors long to gain permission and she was guided inside where Patricia waited in her parlor.

    Patricia''s face immediately brightened at the sight of Ember and Ember couldn''t help smiling back at her.

    "How have you been?"

    Patricia looked to the side. "It''s been alright."

    "Really?"

    Patricia sighed and shook her head.

    Ember walked over and sat down next to her friend. "Want to talk about it?"

    "It''s all overwhelming," Patricia said, her face scrunching up. "Everyone is so nice but sometimes it''s too much."

    Ember made a guess. "Everyone is always watching you, expecting you to do great things."

    Patricia nodded her head frantically.

    "Well, there is a solution to that."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "There is?" Patricia asked, peering at Ember.

    "You have to stop caring," Ember said.

    The dawning hope on Patricia''s face crumbled. "I don''t think that''s possible for me."

    "It is. It just takes practice," Ember said and then held up one finger. "The first thing you need to think about is what is it that you, Patricia, want. Not what does everyone expect of you but what it is that you wish to do."

    Patricia bit her lip. "I want to help you."

    Ember frowned and then shook her head. "And why do you want to help me?"

    "Because you helped me. I would''ve never become a Seedling if you hadn''t helped me. I would still be trapped back there." Patricia looked down at her lap, shuddering at the thought.

    Ember hugged Patricia. The girl always made her want to protect her. Like a bird with a broken wing needing to be nurtured back to health. "I''m glad you think highly of me, Patricia, but that doesn''t mean your life needs to revolve around me. I helped you so you would be able to do things you want, not so that you will owe me."

    "But-"

    "Patricia. If someone helps me, yes, I want to show my appreciation but I''m not going to change the course of my life to do whatever they want. I want you to take your time figuring out what it is that you want to do. When you do, then it''ll be easier to focus on your goals and move towards them without worrying about what other people expect of you."

    Patricia looked unsure but she nodded.

    Ember got the feeling it would take a while before Patricia gained the self-confidence to go after her desires or even figure out what those desires were.

    "Look, Patricia, I''m not saying I won''t appreciate your help in the future. I''m not going to turn down someone with all your talents. I just want you to also find out what it is that you want."

    Patricia brightened a little at her words and nodded. "I''ll try."

    "Good!"

    "Now, I was thinking. You''ve been cooped up in the temple since we got here. What do you think about getting some fresh air? I earned a bit of money and I heard there is a shop that sells delicious cakes around here."

    Patricia grinned. "Okay!"

    It took some wrangling, but they finally managed to get permission to go out though they had to take several warrior-priests with them. Ember and Patricia managed to convince them to dress casually so they wouldn''t draw attention to themselves. It sort of worked. They went from looking like warrior-priests to personal guards. Still, it was better people thought Patricia was a rich noble than she was the one and only Oracle.

    Ember could understand why Patricia felt overwhelmed. Going to the shops helped. The pair hadn''t had the opportunity to just explore the city. It was vastly different from the small town of Goros.

    They ate cake and had tea, and visited the bookstore where Patricia spent her money grabbing every book that interested her. Ember had to remind her that she was living in the Hekral temple, renowned for its large libraries. After that, Patricia grew even more excited and Ember promised to go with her to the temple library at some point.

    By the time they finished, it was early evening and Patricia had a contented smile on her face that Ember had never seen her wear. Ember couldn''t help reaching over and hugging her. The girl let out a startled peep before hugging her back. The two shared a smile and stepped into the temple only to be stopped by a loud voice.

    "Where have you been?" a woman shouted.

    Ember and Patricia turned in surprise to see Bridget standing at the entrance with Allen beside her. Bridget''s eyes widened and she stepped back as the two warrior-priests automatically positioned themselves in a protective shield at Bridget''s shout. Beside her, Allen rolled his eyes.

    "Sorry," Bridget said, giving the priests a cautious look. "I was talking to her." She pointed at Ember.

    Ember frowned and took a step forward. "Did we have an appointment?"

    "Priest Krindle was looking for you."

    The warrior-priests relaxed and settled behind Patricia once more.

    "I suppose you have to go?" Patricia asked.

    "Maybe."

    "Yes, you do," Bridget practically squawked. "We''ve been waiting for hours."

    "Who told you to wait?" Ember said coldly. "I never made plans to meet with Priest Krindle today."

    Bridget looked surprised at Ember''s tone before straightening her shoulders. "You''re the one who wanted to have your curse looked at. You should make yourself available."

    Ember narrowed her eyes. "Is that right?"

    "Yes, it is," Bridget said in a haughty tone.

    Allen patted Bridget''s arm. "We should let it go and see Priest Krindle."

    "Let''s do that," Ember said with a tight smile. She turned to Patricia and said her goodbyes and then she was off to the research facility.

    When they arrived, Priest Krindle was there and her face immediately brightened when she saw Ember. "Maiden Ember! I''m so happy that you made it. I heard about your troubles when you registered and that you think it might be tied to your curse?"

    Ember nodded. "Yes. I noticed that some of my abilities don''t register through the orb though I know they exist."

    Ember gave a quick demonstration of her fire and water ability. "The only one that registers is my mapping skill."

    "Really?" Allen said, his eyes bright.

    Ember gave him a clipped nod.

    Priest Krindle looked thoughtful. "Hmm if it is blocking your ability from being assessed then that might explain why the curse is so deeply rooted in you. We certainly have to study it in detail."

    "Unfortunately, I don''t think that will be possible," Ember said calmly.

    The room grew silent.

    "Why is that?" Priest Krindle said, biting her lip. "Is there a problem?"

    "It has come to my attention that I am causing an inconvenience by not making myself available at all times," Ember said and pointedly looked at Bridget. "Unfortunately, since I am sponsored by Knight Vantosia, my schedule is filled with training and other activities, and making myself available at all times is just not possible."

    Priest Krindle looked confused and then turned to Bridget. The woman had gone pale at Ember''s words. Dawning realization spread across the priest''s face before she turned to Ember.

    "It was never my intention to require that. That would be unreasonable," the priest said.

    "I thought the same. If it was a mistake then I''m glad you cleared up the confusion but it did make me reconsider my thoughts on the curse," Ember said. "It looks like the price is simply hiding my abilities but it doesn''t stop me from using them. In some ways, it''s a benefit so I''m satisfied with leaving the curse as it is. Thank you for the time you put into looking at it but I think we should stop here."

    "Wait," Priest Krindle said. "We don''t know what the side effects might be. There could be other issues."

    "I understand," Ember said, "And if issues come up, I will make sure to visit you again. I appreciate the time you put into helping me study my curse. If you need compensation for the previous session, we can discuss it. Shall we make an appointment?"

    The group gaped at Ember before Priest Krindle shook her head. "No, that won''t be necessary."

    Ember smiled. "Thank you. Good luck with your research."

    Ember walked out of the office and behind her she could hear Bridget''s voice as she fervently tried to explain.

 50 - Divergent Magic

    After checking in with her mother, Ember made her way to a prayer room on the first floor. Once she was inside, she waited for a few moments before a voice spoke to her.

    "You really know how to cause a commotion."

    Ember looked up and grinned at Justine. "I don''t know what you mean."

    Justine snorted. "Sure, you don''t."

    "So anything new?" Ember asked.

    Justine shook her head. "Lady Allyana is still restricted to the temple. She''s trying to convince her father to let her go out as long as Oracle Patricia is with her and therefore the warrior-priests but he continues to say no. I don''t know if he''ll waver."

    "He will," Ember said.

    "You sound way too sure about that," Justine said, peering closely at her.

    "You said yourself in your last report that he has a soft spot for his daughter. He''ll give in eventually."

    Justine grunted and leaned against the wall. "Even if he did, it would be suicide to go after her if she''s surrounded by warrior-priests and the Count''s guards."

    Ember nodded her head. It was a good point. She wondered if rescuing Meri had changed the situation too much. Would the kidnapper even be able to get to Allyana? She frowned. Dread filled Ember''s stomach. All her plans would be for naught if the kidnapper backed off. Did that mean she would have to create an opportunity instead? She didn''t like that idea. While she could justify taking advantage of the situation, crossing the line to actually causing it was a different story. She knew it was an arbitrary line but she needed to have boundaries. She knew what she would become without them.

    "Let''s keep an eye out for now. Is there anything else?"

    "She''ll be working with the patients in the infirmary tomorrow."

    Ember considered that and nodded. "Thanks. That might be useful." She looked at Justine. "There are a few things I need to talk to you about. First, is your pay. I know we agreed to three copper tons a month but I would like to change that."

    Justine raised an eyebrow but didn''t say anything.

    "Four copper brils a month."

    Justine whistled. "That''s three times more than your current offer. This is the first time I had an employer ask to pay me more before the agreed negotiation period."

    "We both know you''re worth a lot more than that."

    Justine shrugged. "If you consider the exclusive contract you''re giving me, you''re actually overpaying me. Wait, I still get the exclusive for monster hunting, right?"

    Ember grinned. "Yes. That does remind me. Now that Knight Vantosia is my sponsor, we''ll be moving to the capital. We''ll be closer to the Wayward Mountains so we can go there for hunting. It''ll be a great opportunity. But there is a drawback."

    "The Rakels," Justine said.

    Ember nodded. "They keep a manor in the capital and at least a few Rakels are always there instead of at their main estate. It''ll be hard to avoid them."

    Justine sighed. "You really had to go and accept a royal knight''s sponsorship." She shrugged. "I''ll just have to be careful."

    Ember was a little surprised that Justine still planned to go with her. She had hoped she would but she thought she would have to do a lot more convincing. "I don''t plan on staying in the capital permanently but it might take a few years before we''ll be ready to move."

    "And where are you planning to go?" Justine asked.

    "A safe place for me and my family," Ember said, not explaining further. She still hadn''t decided on a location just that it had to be a place not owned by any kingdom.

    "That tells me nothing, you know?"

    Ember simply smiled. "I should head back. I have training tomorrow." She paused. "How is the training going with my Mom?"

    Justine snorted. "She''s difficult to handle but she has talent. Wait until you see the weapon she''s taken a liking to."

    "What''s the weapon?" Ember asked, curiously.

    "I''ll let that be a surprise," Justine said and then she slid out the door, leaving Ember behind.

    Ember shook her head and made her way back to her room.

    The next morning, Ember and Rowan made their way to the mercenary hall. This time, Knight Garrick didn''t travel with them but Justine came along as a sort of bodyguard. When her mother informed them she had found a house for them to rent, it was agreed that Justine would go with her to complete the transaction. Her mother hadn''t been too happy about it but since Ember and Rowan would be with the knights, Justine would be best served protecting her mother. It did leave a gap where Lady Allyana wasn''t being watched but since Ember knew she would be at the infirmary today she decided to chance it.

    Ember knew she was probably being paranoid but after living so many lives where her mother died from unnatural causes, Ember figures she earned her paranoia. Once Justine had dropped them off, Ember and Rowan hurried inside to begin their training. Right away, they were ordered to do laps around the training ground. For the rest of the training, they were lifting and throwing stones, doing downward sword slashes until their arms felt like jelly, and then it was back to running. By the time they finished, Rowan was lying on the ground with his arms spread out and Ember was considering joining him.

    "Maiden Ember," Knight Vantosia called.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Ember dragged herself towards the knight. "Yes, sir?"

    "I have decided on your magic tutor." He waved to Knight Garrick. "While Knight Garrick is a knight, he is also a mage."

    Ember couldn''t help the grin on her face. She had been secretly hoping the knight would be the one to tutor her. She was determined to learn how to make lightning.

    "You don''t seem surprised," Knight Van commented.

    "I found out he was a mage on our way to Hekral."

    "I gave up the mage title to be a knight, so it''s better to call me a Bloom," Knight Garrick said, joining the conversation.

    "Why can''t you be both?" Ember asked.

    "That''s complicated," Knight Garrick said. "And not part of the lesson we''ll be doing today."

    "Van says you have several abilities. I would like you to show them to me but unfortunately, that''s going to have to wait until we return to the capital."

    "Why?" Ember asked.

    "Privacy," Knight Van answered, gesturing to the grounds. "We can''t say who is watching. It''ll be better to wait until we''re at my estate."

    Knight Garrick nodded in agreement while Ember couldn''t help feeling disappointed. She had been hoping to start working towards getting lightning.

    "Now, don''t get too down about it. I have another exercise for you to practice until we reach the capital. Plus, we can still work on the abilities listed on your registration. "It was fire and water, right?"

    Ember nodded her head. "Though they are listed as unconfirmed."

    "That''s fine. What''s important is they''re listed," Garrick said. "Now follow me."

    "I''ll be returning to the temple," Knight Van said. "I''ll bring your brother back with me."

    "Thank you," Ember said.

    Knight Vantosia called to Rowan and the boy immediately jumped to his feet and rushed over. His earlier fatigue seemed to drain away in the face of his hero worship. Ember chuckled to herself. At least Knight Vantosia was worth looking up to.

    Knight Garrick led them to a corner of the field and gestured for her to sit on the ground. As soon as she was settled, Garrick went into lecture mode.

    "Since elemental abilities are growth abilities, they can constantly grow stronger. Not only that, but elemental abilities can create divergent abilities, like my lightning. Divergent abilities are what really makes someone a mage."

    Ember had never heard about divergent abilities or that it was the key to being a mage. "I thought having elemental magic made you a mage."

    "That''s correct," Knight Garrick said. "But the reason for that is because elemental magic allows you to have divergent abilities. Perhaps it would be better if I explain what divergent abilities are."

    "Many people think divergent abilities are the same as having a growth ability. It makes sense that they think so since you have to have a growth ability to have a divergent ability, but not all growth abilities create divergent abilities."

    "What?" Ember asked, confused.

    "For example, let''s look at your mapping skill, Finder''s Keeper."

    Ember stiffened at the mention of her skill but forced herself to relax.

    "Now Finder''s Keeper was registered as being level five. That means it is a growth skill. I assume your skill can grow to find different things on your map."

    Ember nodded. "At first it only allowed me to find items, but now I can find animals and people."

    Knight Garrick grinned. "That''s a perfect example of a growth skill. Your mapping ability is growing stronger but it''s still tied to your mapping. On the other hand, my fire, wind, and water can grow stronger in levels but they also can be combined to make a new skill which is my lightning. That is what divergent abilities are. They can create an entirely new ability."

    Ember felt a wave of excitement. She wondered just how many divergent abilities she could create since she had all the elements at her disposal.

    "Now an important thing to keep in mind is that lightning can be both a divergent ability and a normal ability."

    "How?" Ember asked.

    "There are some people who gain the blessing of lightning. That means they can use lightning from the start, no other elements are necessary. It''s useful but also limiting. Lightning becomes the set ability and therefore doesn''t have the flexibility of a divergent. With a divergent, you don''t have the official ability of lightning so it''s not as easy to use but you can use it and still have the base elements."

    Ember thought over what Knight Garrick said before a question came to mind. "Does that mean lightning isn''t considered an element? Or can you not combine it to make a divergent? Can a person with the lightning ability break it down to the base elements?"

    "Slow down," Knight Garrick said with a laugh. "Now let''s try answering those one by one."

    Ember flushed but she leaned forward, eager to learn more.

    "Lightning isn''t considered an element though some people will call it a pseudo-element though that''s not an official term."

    He paused and then continued. "So far lightning has not been able to be combined to make a divergent but there are still people who are trying. The reason is because there have been some close calls before the experiment fell apart. Many people believe that because lightning isn''t a real element it makes it harder to make divergent abilities but that because it is closely aligned with the elements it might be possible."

    "Lastly, lightning cannot be broken down when it is a set ability. Since the ability is a blessing it can only go forward it cannot go back. That''s why having the base elements and making divergent lightning is considered better. A person blessed with a set lightning ability won''t be considered a mage due to that limitation."

    Ember turned over that information. It was fortunate that she had decided to gain the base elements instead of trying to find a set lightning ability. It also provided a loophole with her ability slots. Since divergent abilities weren''t set abilities she could have as many as she could discover without taking up a slot in Keeper.

    "Another important thing to know is that elements can create divergent abilities without combining elements"

    "But I thought you had to combine elements to make divergent abilities."

    "That''s true and in some mage circles people consider that to be what makes a true divergent ability. But mages with only the fire ability can make a divergent ability. Fire Rain is an example. Despite its name, it doesn''t use water. Instead, it shapes fire into condensed droplets that fall from the sky like rain. It is a devastating ability. Due to the way it appears, people consider it not just part of growing stronger with the fire element but its own separate ability. That is what is called a single divergent ability since it only uses a single element."

    Ember could understand why some people would consider it not a true divergent ability. Wasn''t it just a powerful use of the fire element? It was just that the user had greater control over shaping their skill. It wasn''t too unlike her using wind to collect sounds and return them to her, a trick she learned from a spy with the wind ability. Did that mean it was a divergent ability?

    "Now, to the point of why I was explaining all of this," Knight Garrick said. "To use divergent skills, you must take control of your elemental magic. Now before you say you have control, you don''t. Seedlings automatically are capable of using their ability. It becomes second nature but because of this they are relying on their blessing to do the work."

    "When you gain a blessing you also gain the magic veins to use it. What you''ll need to do is focus on sensing those magic veins inside you and manipulating them."

    Ember was startled at the information. Knight Garrick was essentially saying that blessings were a crutch. Did that mean that this was only the tip of what she could do with her abilities?

    "Now the exercise we''ll be doing today is working on how to sense the different magic veins inside of you. To do that you''ll need to close your eyes and try to sense the magic inside of you. Since you have so many abilities this might be even more difficult for you. What I would like you to do is focus on finding either water or fire since that''s what we''ll be focusing on while in Hekral."

    He smiled at Ember. "Ready?"

    Ember nodded her head trying to contain her excitement.

    "Then let''s begin."

 51 - Infirmary

    Knight Garrick had been right. While it had been surprisingly easy to sense the magic veins within her, actually telling them apart was a different story. Knight Garrick told her to concentrate on just one but so far she found the magic too overwhelming. She would try to focus on one of the veins only for the magic to surge over her like a tidal wave and her concentration would break. Then she would have to start all over again.

    Still, knowing that she could sense her magic and use it to grow made her excited. She was sure it would help her to unlock her other abilities faster. She considered whether to continue practicing her barrier ability in lieu of the new information. After some thought, she decided she would continue. She was sorely lacking in defensive abilities so having the barrier ability unlocked was pivotal. She would add it to her routine when she practiced sensing and untangling her magic veins.

    Satisfied, Ember made her way to the guardhouse and reported in with her new schedule. She also informed them she would be starting work tomorrow. She could''ve started that day but she decided to visit the infirmary. She needed to build a relationship with Allyana and, if possible, see if she could gather information about Meri''s kidnapper. She suspected the information had already been gathered by the knights and guards but she doubted they would share it with her.

    She paused. Or maybe they would now that she was employed with the city guard. Since she had saved Meri, it wouldn''t seem unusual for her to ask about it. She would have to talk with the guard tomorrow about it.

    When Ember entered the temple infirmary, she found several acolytes and priests treating the patients inside. While the priest took care of the seriously ill or injured, the acolytes either assisted the priests or cared for recovering patients. The infirmary was surprisingly busy, not overwhelmingly so, but a steady stream of patients filled the place. Despite that, it wasn''t hard to spot Allyana in the crowd.

    The noble was like a golden beacon. Even as she treated patients, people would walk over to talk to her. Allyana always patiently spoke with them but managed to do so without ignoring or neglecting her patient. As Ember watched, the elderly woman Allyana was treating laughed at something Allyana said. Not far from her, Acolyte Richard kept an eye on Allyana and redirected the people heading towards her if it seemed like Allyana was becoming overwhelmed. It was clear the pair had a system going to manage patient care and speak with the people excited to see the noblewoman.

    Ember''s attention turned away from Allyana and began searching for Meri. She figured her best bet was to speak to Meri first. It would be easier without her friends. She knew the conversation wouldn''t be pleasant and she didn''t need them interfering. When she spotted Meri, Ember was surprised to see a familiar face next to the girl.

    "Patricia, what are you doing here?" Ember asked once she reached the two girls.

    "Hi Ember," Patricia said brightly.

    "She''s been visiting me nearly every day," Meri piped in and she seemed much more cheerful than she had before.

    Ember looked at Patricia in surprise.

    Patricia flushed. "Besides my Oracle studies, I don''t do much, so I come here to visit and help out in the infirmary."

    Ember was impressed. Patricia really was kind. She had free time and she decided to help people. The Akashic Tree really had chosen the right person to make its oracle.

    "How are the oracle studies going?" Ember asked.

    "At first it was a lot but I''m getting the hang of it. I''m trying to do what you told me." Patricia looked shyly away and then back at Ember. "It''s hard but I think it''s working."

    "Good," Ember said. "Keep at it." Ember paused and then let her curiosity get the best of her. "Have you had any oracles come to you?"

    Meri leaned in at the question, just as interested.

    "I''m not allowed to talk about them unless it''s approved by the Merclen Archbishop, but I''ve had at least three."

    Ember''s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That many already?"

    Patricia nodded. "The Akashic Tree has a lot to say."

    "I wonder why it took so long for it to pick an oracle then," Ember said, thoughtfully. "Also, you have to get permission to share your oracles?" She didn''t like the sound of that but it wasn''t completely unexpected.

    "It''s probably to prevent panic," Meri said, defensively.

    Ember looked at the girl. It was clear she was protective of the Order. She expected as much from an acolyte, but not all members of the Order were like that, especially in the Hekral temple which had a more scholarly focus.

    "That makes sense," Ember acknowledged.

    Meri seemed to relax at her words.

    Patricia looked between them nervously. "You don''t need to worry. What the Akashic Tree says comes first. If the Akashic Tree directs me to tell someone I''ll always do what it says first, otherwise I don''t mind leaving it in the hands of the Archbishop."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Ember reached out and gave Meri''s hand a squeeze. "As long as you''re fine with it. I''m fine with it."

    Patricia smiled brightly and then looked at Ember curiously. "Why did you come to the infirmary? You''re not ill, are you?"

    Ember shook her head. "I actually came to see Meri."

    Meri looked at her in surprise and then embarrassment. "Oh. Sorry about before."

    "It''s fine," Ember said gently. "After what you''ve been through, I think it''s good to get it all out."

    Meri smiled bashfully. "Thanks. Still, it was pretty embarrassing."

    "How are you holding up?"

    "It''s hard. I still have problems with men coming close but I''m trying to get better. Allyana suggested I try having someone I know come and visit but that hasn''t worked out."

    "Too hard?"

    "Yes, but it''s also finding the right one. Richard and Allen are the only ones I''m around regularly and to tell you the truth Richard scares me a little. It would be easier with Allen, but..."

    "He''s busy?" Ember asked.

    Meri nodded.

    Ember suspected that might be the case. She wondered if Meri had a crush on Allen. Unfortunately for Meri, it looked like Bridget was winning.

    Ember decided to change the subject and get to the reason she had come to see Meri. "Meri, do you mind if I ask you some questions about what happened?"

    Meri stiffened and then her body trembled. Patricia reached out and held the girl''s hand and some of the trembling stopped.

    "What do you want to know?"

    "Whatever you can tell me," Ember said. "I''ve started working for the city guard and if I can find any clue about your attacker I''m going to try to help."

    Patricia looked down at her lap. "I don''t know much. He kept my eyes covered and barely spoke. When he did his voice was rough and distorted."

    "Do you think he was trying to disguise his voice?" Ember asked.

    "Maybe," Meri said. "It was strange. He was hiding who he was but sometimes...it seemed like he wanted me to know."

    "Why do you think that?"

    "He would ask me to guess."

    "Guess?"

    Meri shuddered and scrunched in on herself. "Guess who he was. At least I think so. I''m not sure. He would just say guess. I don''t know what I was supposed to guess." Meri dug her nails tightly into her arms. "Do we need to keep talking about this?"

    Ember shook her head. "That''s enough. Thank you for telling me."

    Meri nodded, still trembling. "You should be careful. He''s dangerous, really dangerous. He can hurt you without touching you."

    Ember''s eyes widened and then narrowed. Did that mean he had an ability to cause pain? That worried Ember. The Akashic Tree gave out a variety of abilities, some dangerous and some helpful. But all the abilities the Akashic Tree gave were not violent on their own. For example, the fire element could destroy or give warmth. An ability based on swordsmanship was an extension of a desire to grow stronger or protect. While not all abilities were positive, they were at least neutral or natural extensions of a person''s talents. So, an ability that simply caused pain wouldn''t be something the Akashic Tree would bless a person with.

    This meant either the ability wasn''t one about pain and that was just a side-effect or the ability wasn''t an Akashic Tree ability. Ember frowned at the thought of the last one. If it wasn''t an Akashic Tree ability then it was a Shade ability. That was even more worrisome. The first sign of a Shade ability happened about three years from now in the capital. Was the timeline happening faster than before and why in Hekral? No, that didn''t make sense. The kidnapping had always happened so that can only mean the Shade had always been active here and no one discovered it or the ability wasn''t a Shade ability.

    Ember bit her lip. If a Shade ability was involved then things had gotten much more complicated.

    "Why is everyone looking so serious?" Allyana asked as she and Richard joined them.

    Meri''s expression brightened at the sight of Allyana and then she looked around, a hint of disappointment on her face. "Allen didn''t come?"

    Allyana shifted uncomfortably. "He''s helping out in the research facility." The ''with Bridget'' went unsaid.

    Meri couldn''t hide her disappointment. "Oh." She sunk deeper into her bed. "I''m sorry. I''m really tired. Do you mind if I rest?"

    "Of course," Allyana said softly.

    Meri rolled over, her back facing them. The four of them got up and gave Meri her privacy.

    Once they were out of earshot, Allyana growled out. "That idiot. He''s going to lose his chance."

    "I have to agree," Richard said.

    Ember looked at the pair curiously. "His chance?"

    Allyana nodded. "Allen has a crush on Meri but the idiot is avoiding her."

    Ember couldn''t help her surprise. "I thought he liked Bridget."

    Richard snorted. "She wishes."

    Allyana rolled her eyes. "Meri is probably thinking the same." She sighed. "Allen has always liked Meri. They were even supposed to go on a date." She let out a sigh. "But the worst happened."

    "He must feel guilty," Richard said.

    "I know and I get it. But this isn''t making things better," Allyana said.

    "Why would he feel guilty?" Ember asked.

    Allyana and Richard exchanged a look and then Richard shrugged.

    Allyana sighed but continued. "The day he was supposed to meet Meri for their date he was running late. It was the same day Meri was kidnapped."

    "If he had been on time then Meri might have never been kidnapped," Richard said.

    "That''s so sad," Patricia said.

    Ember couldn''t agree more. "So that''s why he''s avoiding her?"

    Allyana nodded. "Yes. I wish he wouldn''t. Meri really needs him right now."

    "I''ll talk to him," Richard said. "I''m sure he''ll come around. He just needs time."

    A heavy silence hung over the group.

    Ember figured it was a good time to change the subject. "Lady Allyana, I was thinking I would like to help out in the infirmary. Do you know how I can go about volunteering?"

    Allyana immediately latched on to the change of subject and soon Ember found herself dragged along as the group began helping around the infirmary. It was clear they were all passionate about what they were doing, even Richard who for all intents was there as Allyana''s guard. Ember worked diligently along with them. After all, this was the best way to get closer to Allyana and achieve her goals. A little part of her also hoped that by helping out, she might balance the scales against the bad things she had done and would do in the future.

    She sighed. Though, maybe that was an impossible goal. Ember tried not to think about it and instead focused on helping the people at the infirmary. At least for now, she could do some good.

 52 - Guard Duties

    The following day, after Ember finished her training session, she headed to the guardhouse. As soon as she entered, she was faced by the two guards she had met during her first visit. Unlike before, she was greeted with professionalism and asked to wait there while they informed the lieutenant of her arrival. It didn''t take long and she was soon escorted to his office.

    Inside were two guards, one was a female with light brown skin with her hair tightly wrapped in a bun. She was muscular and only a little taller than Ember. Next to her was a taller man with pale golden skin and black hair and eyes. He had a relaxed air about him and his gaze shone with humor.

    "Maiden Ember, these are guards, Haley and Ian. You''ll be assigned to work with them for the day. I hope a longer shift will be acceptable today."

    "Yes, sir," Ember said.

    "Good. Make sure to follow their orders." The lieutenant turned to the two guards. "And I expect you both to take good care of Maiden Ember. I don''t want Knight Vantosia to regret allowing her to work with us."

    "Yes, sir," the guards said in unison.

    "Dismissed."

    The three of them exited the office and as soon as they were in the hall, the two guards turned to her with excitement on their faces.

    "Is it true you can find anything with your map?"

    "Not exactly," Ember said, taken a bit off-guard by their enthusiasm. "There are limitations. In order to find people, I have to have their names, no nicknames, and the more exact the better. I can''t find people just by how they look."

    "Hmm," said Ian. "That''s still useful. Does that mean you can''t find places just by their description?"

    "Correct," Ember said. "I have to already have visited the place for it to appear on my map. It''ll be better if I show you." She called up Finder and the floating map unfurled in front of them. "See, this only shows a map of where I''ve been so far in Hekral." She then pushed the map further out so it showed a larger portion of the area. "I can focus it closer or further away so we can see a wider view or concentrate on the inside."

    "That''s really useful," Ian said, rubbing his chin. "What about items?"

    "I can find them but I have to be very specific." She paused and then decided to demonstrate. "Finder, find copper flats."

    The map lit up with hundreds upon hundreds of red dots all over the map. "Now I can put limitations on it to help narrow it down. Finder, find copper flats within a foot of me."

    Most of the red dots disappeared. Haley whistled while Ian nodded.

    "That definitely will be useful. Can you do that with any item, even magical ones?"

    Ember hesitated but nodded. There wasn''t any point in hiding it, she just hoped having Knight Vantosia, as her sponsor, would be enough to protect her if people got greedy.

    Ian and Haley shared a look. "One second," Ian said before knocking on the lieutenant''s door and disappearing inside.

    A few minutes later, Ian returned. "Lieutenant wants us to talk with Esmera."

    "Figured as much," Haley said.

    "What''s wrong?" Ember asked, looking between the two.

    "What''s wrong is you''re useful, very useful and we need to make sure that the wrong people don''t find that out. Come on."

    The guards led Ember outside and soon she was making her way down the streets of Hekral. They moved to the central market where the guards brought her to a small shop. Stepping inside, there was a counter and several chairs but no products. Ember couldn''t help wondering what kind of shop they were at.

    Haley went to the front counter and rang the bell. A moment later, an elderly woman came out and Ember recognized her right away. It was Matron Cavel who had done the oath between her and Knight Vantosia. Now it made sense why there were no products anywhere. It was here people came to hire Oathkeepers.

    "Is Esmera available?" Haley asked.

    Matron Cavel looked them over. When her gaze landed on Ember there was no sign of recognition. "She''s at the merchant hall but she won''t be long."

    Haley nodded. "Can you send her to see Lieutenant Jasper? The sooner she can get there, the better."

    Matron Cavel nodded. "I''ll have her go see him as soon as she returns."

    "Thank you, Matron Cavel."

    They filed out of the shop. "Now I think it''s time we go sightseeing," Ian said. "We''ll want to get that map of yours filled out."

    "Is there any way to make it less flashy?" Haley asked.

    "Not that I know of," Ember said. Now that she thought about it, while she had tried to make Finder invisible, she hadn''t tried to change its shape. "But I can give it a try."

    "Let''s do that, but not out here."

    Ian led them back into the shop and they requested a private room. The guard handed a few coins to Matron Cavel and she led them down a hall with several locked doors. At two of the doors, an attendant was waiting outside. Matron Cavel escorted them into the room.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    "Do you need an attendant?"

    Ian shook his head. "That''s not necessary."

    Matron Cavel nodded and left them.

    "Is the attendant to serving food and drinks?" Ember asked, curiously.

    "They can," Ian said. "But more importantly they are an extra protection to preserve privacy. While the room keeps whatever happens inside private, the attendant makes sure no one runs into each other so that no one even knows a meeting took place here."

    "Oh! I see," Ember said. She had to admit she found the whole place interesting. She had used Oathkeepers in the past but she usually had them come to her. She had never been in one of their shops.

    "Why don''t you go ahead and try to change that map of yours."

    Ember nodded and called up Finder. She paused as she looked at it. What would make it less flashy? Well, if it wasn''t glowing, and maybe if it was smaller. As she thought about it, the map began to change. The glow vanished and the map grew smaller. Ember found herself surprised and slowly cursed herself for not figuring this out sooner. She wondered if she could push it further.  Could she make it look more natural, so it wouldn''t be floating? Ember reached out and plucked the map out of the air and had it roll itself into a scroll. She grinned. Now it wouldn''t look magical. Instead, it was just a normal scroll.

    "Well, that was quick," Haley said. "Are you sure you''ve never done this before?"

    "I haven''t, though I should''ve done it sooner."

    "Now, that''s resolved, it''s time for the tour!" Ian said with a clap of his hands.

    Ian went to the door and knocked and a moment later the door was opened and they were guided out. After that, Ember found herself rushing over Hekral as the guards tried to help her fill her map. They didn''t stop for long at any place, trying to cover as much ground as possible but as they moved Ian and Haley would fill her in with tidbits about the locations and the people that lived in them.

    "The area we''re in right now is the Mercantile District. It houses all the shops as well as the merchant guild. It''s also where most of the gentry live," Ian explained. "Hekral is made up of four districts - the Temple District, the Noble District, the Mercantile District, and the Commoner District."

    "Also known as the slums," Haley said.

    Ian winced but nodded in agreement. "Yes, if you hear people talking about the slums, they''re usually referring to the Commoner District."

    "Does that mean commoners can only live in the slums?" Ember asked.

    "No," Ian said. "They can live in all the districts besides the Noble District since you have to be a noble to live there."

    "Though most people who can afford to live outside the Commoner District go and register as gentry," Haley explained. "There''s a lot of places around here that won''t sell or rent a house to you if you''re not a gentry. The temple district is better about it but it still happens there in the more ritzy places."

    "Oh," Ember said. She hadn''t realized that. It was something she would have to notify her mother about. It would be better for them to stick to renting in the temple district until they left for the capital.

    "I think a break is in order and I have just the place in mind," Ian said and began leading them away from the central market and closer to the outskirts of the Mercantile District.

    Ember noticed a decrease in the quality of the buildings. Eventually, they stopped at a rowdy pub and Ember couldn''t help thinking it was a strange place for them to stop for their break. This was confirmed when she noticed several people giving them strange looks and even avoiding them though no one said anything to them.

    The trio sat down and Ian ordered food and an ale while Haley ordered just food for her and Ember. Ember was a little surprised to see Ian drinking on the job but she didn''t want to say anything. For all she knew that was how things worked in these parts.

    "So how do you like Hekral so far?" Ian asked as he chugged down half of his drink as soon as the waiter set it down in front of him.

    Ember looked at the mug before looking back at Ian. "It''s been interesting, to say the least."

    "I bet since you were involved in the kidnapping," Ian said, his voice growing a bit loud as he finished off his ale and signaled for another.

    Ember noticed that some of the people at the table next to them leaned in closer. Ember wasn''t sure what was going on and Ian''s sudden carelessness. She looked at Haley but she didn''t seem bothered and instead focused on her food.

    "Yeah, getting involved in that was a bit unexpected," Ember said. "I was actually wondering if there had been any news about the kidnapping."

    "None at all," Ian said. "But we have you now, so I think that''ll change." Ian abruptly slapped his hand on the table. "I think luck is smiling down on us. Look at this."

    Ian fished a copper bril from his pocket. He held it out showing that the words luck had been carved on one side of it. "I found this the same day the kidnapped girl was rescued and since then luck has been raining down on me. I''m not a superstitious man but I''m starting to think it was no coincidence."

    From there Ian began to loudly talk about all the luck he had from finding a silver coin to kissing the woman he had a crush on. More and more people gathered closer and soon a crowd had gathered around them. Then Ian cheerfully ordered a round of drinks for his listeners. He was in the midst of a tale when Haley stood up.

    "Enough of that. We should head back. We kept the new recruit out long enough."

    "But I''m in the middle of my story. It''s rude to leave now," Ian whined.

    Haley rolled her eyes. "You can come with or you can explain to the captain why you ran off during your shift."

    "Fine, fine." Ian climbed to his feet, wobbling as he did. He started to walk away and then stopped. "Wait!" He then looked at the crowd, pointing his finger over it until it stopped at a thin man with a bald head and cold eyes. "You. I think you could use a bit of luck."

    Ian climbed through the crowd until he reached the man and held out the copper bril with luck carved into it. "Here. Wait! You have to promise to take care of it." Ian said, face flush with drink. "I can''t just give this to anyone."

    The man chuckled and held out his hand. "Promise."

    Ian slapped the bril into his hand. "You heard him everyone. He promised."

    This caused a round of laughter before Haley grabbed Ian''s arm and began dragging him out of the pub. Ember looked back at the bald man to see him examine the coin before shoving it into his pocket.

    Then they were outside the pub and making their way back to the guardhouse. Ember followed behind with a frown on her face. The whole thing had felt off. They went from showing her around town to fill up her map to getting drunk in a pub.

    Haley guided them inside the guardhouse and to a private room in the back. As soon as they stepped into the room, Ian straightened up and strode to the table that sat in the center of the room. His drunken stride was gone and he had a smirk on his lips.

    Haley shook her head. "Don''t you think you overdid it?"

    "They bought it, didn''t they?"

    Ember looked between the two and everything came together. "It was an act?"

    Ian grinned. "We''ve been trying to hunt down the base for a human trafficking ring. The man I gave the coin to is someone we suspect to be involved. Do you think that coin is specific enough?"

    Ember called up her map. "Finder, find a copper bril with the word luck carved on it within Hekral."

    A single dot appeared on her map.

    Haley threw her fist up in excitement. "Time for a raid!"

 53 - District Rounds

    Ember had been excited to hear about the raid but she should have known better. While the guards stormed the place with spears and swords brandished and magic slung, Ember was tucked safely away from the action. She was considered young and untrained so she was relegated to a safe house where she was able to confirm any changes to the location.

    Despite her not being involved in the raid, she was given a bonus by the lieutenant and was acknowledged as an honorary guard. The guard captain was notified of her involvement and she was permanently assigned to work with guards, Ian and Haley, and two other guards chosen by the captain. It was set up to prevent knowledge of her mapping ability from getting out.

    The few people who had met her at the guardhouse were put under oath with a compulsion to turn themselves in to Second Lieutenant Jasper if they broke the vow. Ember could see multiple ways to get around that. Such as, if the person who wanted the information simply killed the guard or sent in a disposable lackey to get the information and then report back. Still, she appreciated the effort to try to keep her safe.

    Ember soon found her days filled with training in the morning, guard duties in the afternoon, and magic practice in the evenings. On her off days, she volunteered at the temple infirmary. Her mother had managed to find a place to rent in the temple district though she had a hard time without the gentry title. Ember suggested they officially purchase a gentry title but her mother said she would think about it but never followed up. Ember got the feeling she didn''t want to have such a big change in their station without her father being involved.

    She knew that her mother dearly missed her husband and so her mother did everything she could to keep busy. This ended with her finding work at a shop. She fell into the job accidentally and proved to have a knack for sales. She went into the job informing them she couldn''t stay long, which the shopkeeper was fine with since he only needed a temporary worker since his daughter, who helped around the shop, was close to giving birth and couldn''t work.

    Rowan also kept himself busy. He spent extra hours training and had even gotten friendly with the mercenaries that they rented the training grounds from. It allowed him to train even on the days the training grounds were being used by the mercenaries. When he wasn''t doing that, he was tutored by their mother. Their mother had felt bad about being so neglectful of their education and wanted to fix that. Rowan wasn''t quite as enthused about the tutoring sessions but stuck to it when Knight Garrick mentioned that all the royal knights were required to know how to read, write, and do math.

    Weeks went by and the three of them fell into an easy routine. Still, the knowledge that they would soon need to leave for the capital itched at the back of Ember''s mind. Justine reported back often about Allyana, though Ember spent enough time with the other girl to find most of the information on her own. This ended up with Ember loosening Justine''s watch on Allyana but still having her keep her informed of any schedule changes when Ember wasn''t around to see for herself. However, she was starting to think that the kidnapping would no longer happen. After Ember helped save Meri there had been no signs of the kidnapper.

    Still, Ember didn''t let her guard down and eventually, she found herself joining Allyana on a district round. Count Uniar had finally agreed that Allyana could make her rounds as long as she took Patricia and her warrior-priests. On top of that, several guards would be secretly following them. Allyana hadn''t liked having so many guards around and worried they would frighten away the people who sought help but she didn''t dare disagree with her father after just managing to get his approval.

    Two groups were going on the rounds. Allyana''s group included Allen, Patricia, Bridget, Ember, Richard, Priest Michael, Priest Andrew, and two acolytes Ember had seen around but wasn''t familiar with. Priest Andrew often worked in the infirmary so she knew him well. Priest Michael, she had seen around and knew he was mainly in charge of providing food to the poor during the great festivals. The other group had a similar makeup - two priests and several acolytes.

    "Why is she here?" Bridget said when she saw Ember.

    "Because I invited her. She has been helping out regularly in the infirmary," Allyana said.

    "Unlike someone," Richard muttered.

    Bridget flushed. "I''ve been working at the research facility. I''ve had to work overtime because of her." She pointed at Ember.

    "You mean because of you," Ember shot back. "It''s not my fault you decided to push me around."

    Bridget glared at Ember and then spun around. "Whatever. I don''t plan on arguing with a child."

    Ember rolled her eyes though she couldn''t dispute it. Bridget and the others were around seventeen and eighteen, and Patricia was fourteen. It made Ember the youngest at twelve. She gathered that because of her age, Bridget had felt justified in trying to order her around. At first, she had assumed it was a class issue but Bridget was also a commoner and despite her attitude was very dedicated to the temple and studying curses. If she became a priest, class wouldn''t matter since once a person became a priest they discarded any noble rank. There was still the Order hierarchy but as an acolyte, she was the lowest rank. So Ember figured, and it was now confirmed, that it was probably her age that gave Bridget her sense of superiority.

    "Bridget please," Allyana said and hooked her arm with the other girl''s. "This is my first outing in a while and I want to show Ember the good work we do. Can''t you get along with her for my sake?"

    Bridget huffed but her expression softened. "Fine."

    Ember ignored the girl and instead fished out several bracelets she stored in a pouch. "I have something for everyone," Ember said.

    She began handing the bracelets out to everyone in the group. They were simple bronze bands embedded with a small colored stone. They were elegant but not too expensive.

    "What are these for?" Allen asked as she handed him one.

    "I thought it would be nice to commemorate the occasion. I won''t be in Hekral for much longer since I have to go to the capital with Knight Vantosia, so I thought I would do this in appreciation for how you all have taken care of me."

    When Ember gave one to Bridget the girl looked surprised. "For me too?"

    Ember shrugged and handed it over.

    Bridget looked like she wasn''t sure what to do but she slid the bracelet on. "Thank you, I guess."

    Allyana smiled brightly at her words and put her bracelet on.

    "Is there magic on these?" Allen asked, staring at the bracelet curiously.

    "Do you think I could afford that?" Ember said.

    Allen laughed and slid the bracelet on and so did Richard. Ember looked at Patricia to check on her and her friend was already wearing hers. What Ember had told them was true. There was no magic on the bracelet, but each bracelet had a small inscription on it that would help her locate them on her map. Ian''s trick with the coin had stuck with her. If they were separated, Ember would be able to locate them as long as they kept the bracelet on. Having them wear the bracelet had been the hard part, but she figured if she gave it as a group gift, they would at least wear it during the outing in an attempt to be polite.

    A few minutes later, the group set off. They planned to work a straight line from the Temple District to the Commoner District. Once they reached the Commoner District, they would move deeper in and set up a tent where they would provide medical aid or food to anyone who needed it.

    Their path through the Temple District was uneventful. Not many people came out to see them. With the temple being so close they could always go there for what they needed, though there were a few that asked for food. The temple didn''t give food out regularly unlike medical treatment so there were still people who approached them for it.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Still, it wasn''t too busy and they quickly made their way to the Commoner District. There, they were slowed down drastically. They were stopped many times to give out food, medicine, and first aid when possible. For people who needed more extensive aid, they were directed to follow them so they could be treated in the tents they were preparing to set up. Several city guards had also joined them, doing crowd control.

    "I didn''t know the city guard would be here," Ember commented.

    "They always come out to help," Allyana said. "It''s to prevent a riot or our supplies being stolen. People get desperate and that desperation can devolve into violence."

    Ember looked at Allyana in surprise. Allyana had always come across to Ember as idealistic and a little naive but for her to acknowledge that violence of poverty showed Ember that perhaps she wasn''t as naive as she first thought.

    Finally, they reached the spot where they decided to set up the tents, and together the acolytes started setting up while the city guard guided people into two lines, one for food and the other for medical aid. The entire thing was a lot more organized than Ember expected.

    "It''s impressive, isn''t it?" Richard said beside her.

    Ember looked at him in surprise. She didn''t talk much with Richard. His attention tended to be solely on Allyana and protecting her.

    "Yes. I was admiring how organized it is."

    "It''s all because of Lady Allyana," Richard said proudly. "You don''t see a lot of people willing to go so far for the poor, especially a noble, but she tries her hardest. A lot of people were against the district rounds, saying it was too dangerous and that people should just come to the temple. But Lady Allyana was determined to make it happen."

    Ember looked at the crowd. "She''s doing a lot of good."

    Richard nodded and then he walked over to Allyana to help her. Ember watched him. She got the feeling that Richard''s feelings for Allyana went further than admiration.

    "What a tricky situation." Ember didn''t dwell on it. Instead, she joined in on the work, sticking by Patricia while keeping an eye on Allyana.

    As the day went on, the line didn''t seem to get any shorter and by the afternoon there was still a large group, but the temple stated they were temporarily closing for an hour''s lunch so half of the crowd departed while some stuck around, not wanting to lose their place in line.

    Most of the two groups ate within the tent but a few sat outside. Allyana, Richard, and Allen decided to stay outside. Reluctantly, Bridget joined them, sticking to Allen''s side.

    "Let''s join them," Ember said to Patricia.

    Patricia nodded and they joined the group with the warrior-priests not far behind though they gave the group space.

    "I feel like my arms are going to fall off," Bridget said.

    "Same," Allyana said, stretching her arms out. "At least it''s for a good cause."

    Bridget grunted but Ember had seen the tenderness the girl had taken when caring for a patient with a bad infection. She didn''t flinch like Ember expected. Even if Ember didn''t like the girl, she had to admit she took her duties as an acolyte seriously.

    "I need a nap," Allen said with a yawn. "Do you think we''ll be here much longer?"

    "Probably for a few hours more. We need to return before it grows dark," Richard stated.

    "Excuse me," a voice called out and a little boy crept closer to Allen. "Can you help me?"

    Richard immediately stood, blocking the boy''s approach while the warrior-priests moved closer to Patricia.

    Since the boy had approached Allen, he was the one who spoke up. "Is there something wrong?"

    "My sister," the boy said, shrinking back a little when he saw Richard and the warrior-priests''s aggressive stances. "She''s too sick to come here and I can''t carry her. Can you please help her?"

    Allyana''s face softened. "Of course we-"

    "No, you can''t," Richard said, cutting Allyana off. "Count Uniar said you can only do the rounds if you stay with the tents."

    Allyana glared at Richard but she didn''t say anything further. Instead, she turned Allen with a pleading look.

    Allen shrugged. "Sure. I''ll take a look."

    "You can''t go alone," Bridget blurted out.

    "Are you volunteering?"

    "I am," Bridget said, though she sounded nervous.

    "I''ll have a guard go with you," Richard said.

    Bridget looked relieved and soon the pair left with the boy. Richard signaled a guard to follow them and then left to report what happened to the priests.

    By the time lunch was over and the tents were re-opened, Allen and Bridget still hadn''t returned. Ember started to worry. If the kidnapper was watching and had changed targets because of her involvement that meant Bridget and Allen could be in danger.

    Ember moved to a corner of the tent and pulled out her map, making sure to keep it small and unobtrusive. She had Finder locate each of the bracelets and noticed that the two bracelets she gave to Allen and Bridget were stopped not too far from the tents.

    Ember wondered if she should investigate when a scream cut through the air. Everyone turned to see a woman on the ground, clawing at their body as she let out gut-wrenching screams of pain. It seemed like an eternity but had to be only a few seconds and the woman fell limp.

    Everyone was frozen in shock but it was short-lived. Another scream ripped through the air, then another and another. Chaos spread everywhere as people fled the area while more people fell to the ground screaming. The priest and acolytes ran to the victims, trying to pull them into cover and away from the fleeing masses.

    "What''s going on?" A priest said his eyes wide, but just as he did an acolyte fell to the ground beside him, screaming.

    "We need to get out of here," one of the warrior-priests said and they surrounded Patricia and began guiding her out of the crowd.

    Ember wanted to follow her but she knew this had to be part of the attack by the kidnapper. It was just like Meri had said, a pain that couldn''t be explained. Ember couldn''t hesitate. She rushed to Allyana.

    The noble was surrounded by guards and was being guided to the temple just like Patricia. It didn''t look like Ember could get close.

    "Wait! Ember!" Allyana said, coming to a halt. "She''s coming with us. Allen too!"

    Ember turned around to see Allen looking pale and scared. She hadn''t noticed him arriving in the chaos.

    "Where''s Bridget?"

    Allen looked pale. "She started screaming and..."

    "No time," Richard said. "We have to go."

    "We can''t just abandon her," Allyana insisted but her protests were ignored as the Count''s guard ushered her forward.

    With no carriage available, they had to fight their way through the streets. All around them, Ember could see panicked faces. Still, she stuck close to Allyana. She couldn''t afford to lose sight of the noblewoman. The group managed to reach the temple whole. Ember was a little surprised that they were going to the temple instead of the Uniar estate but she knew the temple was closer.

    "We''ll have to wait here until the carriage arrives then we''ll take you to the estate," Richard stated.

    Allyana nodded, looking pale. "What do you think happened to Bridget?"

    Richard''s lips tightened but he didn''t say anything.

    "We should go somewhere safe," Allen said. "We can stay with the oracle. That''s the safest bet."

    Richard considered, looking at how pale Allyana was, and nodded.

    Richard and the Uniar guards led them to where Patricia stayed. It took some convincing and Patricia''s insistence but they were allowed inside. As soon as they entered, Patricia ran over and hugged Ember.

    "You ran off," Patricia said, her voice filled with worry.

    "I wanted to make sure everyone was safe," Ember said.

    "What was that back there?" Allyana said. "And what happened to Bridget?"

    Everyone''s attention turned to Allen. "She fell to the ground screaming. The guard scooped her up and ran to the tents and I followed but when I arrived the same thing that happened to Bridget was happening to everyone else."

    "It had to be an ability," Richard said. "But one I''ve never seen before."

    Ember frowned. Pain without a touch and falling to the ground, clawing at themselves. Why did this seem familiar? Then it clicked. She knew this power. She had this power.

    It was Soul Torture.

    Someone was using soul torture but the ability had only appeared once and that was in the capital several years from now. It had been a serial killer who enjoyed torturing their victims. No one had been able to stop them until Ember got involved. Did that mean Allyana had been the victim of the serial killer in the past?

    No, she couldn''t allow someone with that power to go around unfretted.

    "I have to find him," Ember said and she called up her map. She hesitated. If she asked Finder to locate them then everyone in this room would know she could locate people by their abilities. It was dangerous but she had to do it. She could just ask Knight Vantosia to make them take an oath.

    "So that''s how you did it. Well, that''s no fun."

    Ember turned and as she did a wave of excruciating pain clawed through her. Before she knew it, she was on the ground, screaming. It was just like when she had fallen unconscious back at Lord Felis''s manor but somehow it was worse. Ember struggled to fight against the pain. She could even feel her soul resistance kick in but it was too much. She barely managed to open her eyes and when she did she saw that everyone was on the ground, screaming and convulsing.

    Everyone but one person.

    Allen stood, looking down at them, and he was grinning.

 54 - The Torturer

    In many ways, the Torturer was the herald of the arrival of the Shade. He was a serial killer with the Shade ability Soul Torture and the ability made him practically untouchable. He terrorized Merclen for years, killing over 50 people during his reign of terror. What made him even more frightening was that no one was safe. Male or female, young or old, commoner or noble. It didn''t matter, everyone was his target. At least that was what everyone thought, but a young, aspiring guard had discovered a clue.

    He targeted people with pure souls, though that wasn''t completely correct either. Strong souls were his favorite, and before him was the Akashic Oracle and her, a woman who traveled through time and probably had the strongest soul in the country. Ember wondered if Allyana had even been his target at this point.

    All around her, everyone was unconscious. Allen walked over to a vase and smashed it. Ember expected warrior-priest to come running but she realized they already had when they started screaming and Allen had used soul torture on them as well. Allen bent down and grabbed a shard of the broken vase and ran the jagged edge across his hand. Blood dripped from his palm and formed into a blade.

    He walked over to one of the guards and stabbed him through the chest with the bleeding blade. Ember''s eyes widened and she lifted her hand, summoning a ball of flame but before she could release it, her entire body seized up, like her blood was being gathered into a fist.

    "None of that," Allen said. "I don''t use blood manipulation as often but it still has its uses, especially against Seedlings."

    Allen continued walking throughout the room, stabbing each of the guards in the chest one by one, pausing as he stopped at a particular warrior-priest. "It would be so wasteful. Maybe I can come back for them later."

    He shook his head. "No, no. I already have the three of you. It''ll do no good to be greedy." He then stabbed the warrior-priest in the chest.

    Ember struggled to gather her power, but whatever he was doing with his blood manipulation stopped her from using it. It didn''t make sense. Why did blood manipulation stop her from using her abilities?

    Allen moved to Richard''s body next and an ecstatic smile spread across his lips. "Richard, Richard. What to do? I could kill you but that''s no fun." Richard didn''t say anything. He couldn''t since he was unconscious just like everyone else. "I think it''ll be tons more fun to see you suffer. To know you couldn''t protect your dear Allyana."

    He then stabbed Richard in the wrist, then the other one, before cutting the hamstrings in his leg. "There. Something to remember me by."

    "Did you enjoy the show?" He turned to Ember. "Really. I''m surprised you''re awake. Then again you have the strongest soul I''ve ever seen. Why is that?"

    Ember didn''t say anything.

    "Well, I''m sure you''ll tell me later. For now, why don''t you take a nap."

    Pain rose through Ember and she could feel her soul resistance push back but it was overwhelmed. The pain was worse than anything she ever felt and when she felt like she couldn''t take it anymore everything went black.

    ----

    Ember didn''t know how long she had been unconscious but when she woke up, she found herself chained up in what looked like an underground cell. She wasn''t alone, both Patricia and Allyana were also there. Both of the girls were unconscious. It looked like her soul resistance helped her recover faster from the soul torture effects. Still, she felt like something deep inside her had been ripped apart and the pain lingered.

    A quick look around showed a set of torture devices laid on a table against the far wall. It was close to the door, a big metal thing with no windows. Allen, no, the Torturer, was nowhere in sight.

    Ember tried calling on her wind ability but nothing happened. Her powers were still blocked. She frowned. She could move and she didn''t feel the restriction on her blood like before, so that meant it wasn''t his blood manipulation ability stopping her. So, what was it?

    She looked at the shackles around her wrists and saw that there were runes carved in them. She had seen these sort of shackles before. They stopped the flow of magic and were used on Seedling criminals. She wasn''t sure how he managed to get these since access to the shackles was closely regulated.

    Still, it wasn''t the first time she had been locked up in these shackles, and like most magic items there was always a weakness. For the shackles, you had to outpower them. If your soul or magic was strong enough you could break the runes. To prevent this, Seedling prisoners were often drained of their magic though in some cases even that wasn''t enough and the kingdom would have to simply execute a prisoner that was too powerful.

    In any case, there were no soul slugs around so she didn''t have to worry about her magic being drained. Then again, with Allen having both soul torture and blood manipulation, he probably didn''t have to worry about that. That was his mistake.

    One of the problems of the shackles was though you can overpower them it took a long time to gather the power. Ember had no intention of sticking around for that long. She knew a shortcut.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "This is going to hurt," Ember said.

    Her powers were weak right now so she couldn''t even hope to overpower the shackles but there was one power that she had full control of and with the strength of her soul it was practically a guarantee that it would work. But Soul Torture wouldn''t work on the shackles, at least not alone, so she would have to try to tap into the pure soul magic within her.

    It was time to put Knight Garrick''s lessons to the test. She took a deep breath and then used Soul Torture on herself. Pain rushed through her and she started to scream but she bit down on her hand, holding it back as she used the ability.

    Her mind felt muddled and she could barely concentrate past the pain but she forced herself to focus. She could feel the loop as she used the ability on herself and with it the corruption as it ate away at her. She pulled herself back to the loop. There was so much soul magic fueling the ability it would''ve been impossible for her not to sense it.

    She reached out and grabbed it and using the soul torture as a funnel, she pushed the soul magic out and poured it into the cuffs. As she did, she could feel her mind falter as the pain grew too much but she bit down harder on her hand, tasting blood as she kept pouring more of the magic into the shackle.

    Crack!

    The runes broke and Ember was free. Immediately, she stopped using Soul Torture on herself. The pain lingered and she fought against unconsciousness. That''s when she heard footsteps racing to the door. She didn''t have time. She had to do something now.

    She called up her map. "Finder, find Soul torture. Two dots appeared on her map."

    The door slammed open and as soon as Allen stepped inside, she took it. Soul Torture slid into her body and merged with her own version of it. She meant to use it right away, but the pressure of the merging of two corrupt abilities after suffering through using Soul Torture froze her in place. The pain sunk into her bones and she could do nothing more than shudder as pain wracked her body. Then the next moment, she was locked in place as the blood manipulation took hold of her.

    Allen rushed towards her and wrapped his hand around her throat lifting her from the ground and slammed her into the wall. "What did you do? I can''t feel it. It''s gone."

    Ember could barely think. She knew she couldn''t use her ability while under the effects of the blood manipulation. She could try to overpower it like she did with the shackles but her body was too worn out, but then she saw the glint of silver and with it a possible solution.

    "Please..." Ember said. "Please..."

    Allen pulled her closer. "Go ahead and beg. I''m going to tear you apart until you tell me how you took my power."

    "Please..." Ember said. "...die."

    With a thought, Mally transformed into a long blade and pierced the man''s stomach. Allen jerked back, dropping her, and she slumped to the ground. The blood manipulation holding her flickered. Ember didn''t hesitate, she could. She grasped at the opening and she pushed out a surge of magic. Soul torture ripped through Allen and as it poured out of her it was stronger than she had ever felt before. It made her feel like she was rotting from the inside but she didn''t stop.

    Allen''s scream rent the air. Ember tried to keep the ability going but the force of everything that happened to her soul made it practically impossible for her to keep at it. She stopped, falling over.

    Allen was left shuddering on the ground but surprisingly he wasn''t unconscious. He began crawling across the floor, trying to get away. Ember was too weak to stop him. Instead, she closed her eyes, passing out.

    ---

    When Ember woke up, both Patricia and Allyana were conscious. Their eyes were wide and they looked frightened. The door was still open and it was clear Allen hadn''t come back.

    "I''m so sorry," Allyana whimpered. "I should''ve known."

    Ember could''ve said the same. Of course, there was no way she would''ve known. Though she was the one to take the Torturer down in her previous life, by that point the corruption of using his Shade ability had been so intense his face had been completely unrecognizable.

    Still, she wasn''t finished yet. Ember climbed to her feet. The shackles were weakened from the broken runes, so she slammed them against the ground, once then twice. Metal cut into her skin and her wrists were wet with blood, but the shackles fell off.  She closed her eyes. She wasn''t sure how long she closed them but when she opened them again she knew she had to move or she never would.

    On shaky feet, she stood up and began shuffling to the door.

    "Ember," Patricia said, her voice was strained and wet with tears.

    Ember didn''t look at her. She couldn''t. Not yet.

    "I''ll be back," she said. She stumbled out of the cell and called up Finder. "Finder, find blood manipulation ability."

    Ember looked down at the map and she saw a dot. She began to walk.

    ---

    She found Allen hidden away in a back room using his blood manipulation to recover. He might have already escaped if it wasn''t for her use of soul torture.

    "Found you."

    As soon as she saw him, she took his ability. Right away, she could tell it was a permanent ability and not only that, to her surprise,  it wasn''t a Shade ability but an Akashic one. It explained why she had never seen him use it in her previous life. Corrupted people eventually stopped being able to use their Akashic abilities and were limited to Shade abilities.

    As soon as she took Allen''s ability away, the blood manipulation he had been using to hold himself together fell apart and he began to bleed out.

    "You took it! Give it back!" His eyes were wide and wild, his lips curled back, giving him the look of a wounded feral dog.

    Ember leaned against the wall, exhausted. "Hey. How did you get a Shade ability?"

    She waited and waited, but Allen didn''t speak. After a while, Ember realized that he couldn''t. He was already dead.

    Ember stood there looking at his dead body then she stumbled towards him. Dropping to her knees, she searched him until she found a key. She pushed herself up and began the long trek back. It was a struggle and there were several times when she found herself waking up after passing out, but eventually, she made it to the cell where Patricia and Allyana waited for her.

    She looked at the two women. They looked scared and in pain. A wave of guilt surged up in Ember but she shoved it down. She dragged herself towards them until she was in front of Allyana. Her body swayed, barely able to stay standing. She reached out, handing the key to Allyana.

    "I''m at my limit."

    With that, Ember crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

 55 - Reward

    When Ember woke up this time, she wasn''t in a windowless cell but in the temple infirmary. The room was dim, signaling that it was in the evening. Even so, a few priests and acolytes shuffled around, checking on patients.

    Ember''s body hurt and even deeper pain came from her soul. Despite that, she could feel that her soul was healing. Someone must have used Cleanse to fight the corruption. She could still feel it gnawing at her soul, staining it, but it wasn''t as encompassing as before. Ember turned her head to look around. It hurt to move but she forced herself.

    Beside her, was her mother. She lay partly on the bed, asleep. Not too far from her was Rowan, asleep in a chair. She looked at them and a warmth spread through her chest at the sight. Tears well up in her eyes.

    "You''re awake."

    Ember turned her head to see a priest walking towards her. She had a gentle face that put Ember at ease. Beside her was an acolyte who whispered something to the priest before hurrying from the room.

    Well, that''s suspicious. But Ember was too exhausted to worry about it.

    "How long have I been asleep?"

    "Five days," the priest said. "I''m surprised you even woke up this soon."

    Ember grunted. She knew it was probably due to her soul resistance. "What about the others?"

    "They are both doing well. They woke up yesterday. Their damage was bad but not as bad as yours."

    Ember didn''t say anything to that. She simply lay there and breathed. Her mind was bogged down by thoughts she rather not have. The sound of urgent steps distracted her. She turned her head to look at who was approaching to see Knight Vantosia and Knight Garrick. She almost expected them. What she didn''t expect was the man with them - Count Uniar.

    Her breathing sped up at the sight of him. Everything she had been working towards, the pain and guilt, was for this moment. She steadied her breathing and tried to sit up. Knight Garrick rushed forward, helping to prop her up while Knight Van looked at her with a dark look in his eyes.

    The Count studied her before his gaze drifted to her sleeping family and then back to her. "Maiden Ember, I owe you a great debt. You saved my daughter."

    Ember didn''t say anything.

    "Do you think you can tell me what happened?"

    "It''s too soon," Knight Garrick protested and even Knight Vantosia was giving the Count a disapproving look.

    "It''s fine," Ember said. This was too important for her to wait. Taking a deep breath, she began to tell him a revised version of what happened.

    Knowing that Knight Vantosia would be checking her story for the truth, she focused on only the details she felt comfortable telling. She kept out the part of using Soul Torture or taking Allen''s abilities. Instead of saying she used her ability to throw him off guard, she focused on how Allen had no idea about her soul weapon and how she used Mally to finish him off.

    It was obvious there were gaps in her story but when she was done, Knight Vantosia confirmed it was true.

    "I''m sorry to ask this, but it''s necessary. Did you work with Allen?"

    "No," Ember said coldly.

    "True," Knight Van said.

    A look of relief spread across the Count''s face. "Good." Then the Count knelt in front of her, causing a soft gasp to spill from the room. "Maiden Ember, what you''ve done to save my daughter, even to the point of corrupting your soul. It cannot be measured. For a child to fight against such odds when the adults failed to protect you. Thank you. My appreciation is too great to be shown but I promise that you will gain a reward as great as the deeds you''ve accomplished."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    The Count stood up but before he could turn away Ember spoke.

    "I have something I want."

    The Count turned to her in surprise and with a trickle of suspicion.

    Ember pushed on. "Please save my father."

    The Count looked confused but Knight Vantosia spoke up, quickly explaining what happened with her father and Lord Felis.

    The Count frowned but nodded. "Consider it done." With that, he strode out of the infirmary.

    Ember closed her eyes and relief spread through her. She had finally done it. Everything she had gone through had all been for this. Finally, her family would be whole once more.

    ---

    Two weeks passed in the infirmary. During that time, she had several visitors. Her mother had woken up shortly after the Count left and had wept and hugged Ember. That woke Rowan up and while her brother didn''t cry, he hugged her as tightly as he could. The next day Justine had come, looking guilty. She felt bad about not being there during the attack but Ember assured her that it wasn''t her fault. Ember had given her the day off to go with Allyana. Plus, she hadn''t wanted Justine around in case the kidnapping happened since she needed to be the one who saved Allyana. Of course, she didn''t tell Justine that.

    It was a few days before Patricia and Allyana visited her. Allyana looked worn out and Ember couldn''t help feeling guilty about using her. Logically, she knew that Allyana was destined to be kidnapped and if Ember hadn''t stepped in she would have died, but it didn''t change the fact that she had used the girl and could have possibly prevented this if she had come clean. On top of that, Patricia had been dragged down with them.

    "I''m sorry," Ember said to two women.

    Allyana smiled. "You have nothing to be sorry about. You saved me."

    Ember didn''t say anything more, but when she looked at Patricia there was a knowing look in the girl''s eyes.

    They sat and talked with her and she discovered that Richard was injured but recovering. They had even found Bridget alive though she had been heavily injured. Unfortunately, all the guards that had been with them in Patricia''s room had died. It really showed just how powerful Soul Torture could be.

    ----

    That night, as she rested alone in the infirmary, Ember called up Keeper. She looked at the list of abilities. For so long, she had wanted to be stronger no matter the cost. She had been weak in her past life and she never wanted to feel that way again. So, she took whatever route she could to obtain power.

    But was that the right way? It had saved her but she could feel the corruption slithering through her. The priest came and used Cleanse on her but it never seemed enough. It was like the stain was rooted deep inside her.

    She knew they would eventually get it out. She was still capable of being saved but it had been close.

    Ember looked blankly at her list of powers. How far was she willing to go for it? Would she go as far as to lose her humanity? She knew she would. She would never stop. That was who she was, so she had to decide.

    Taking a deep breath, Ember released the Shade abilities one by one.

    She couldn''t help feeling weaker but she also felt lighter. She smiled and then jerked back as a bright light appeared in front of her. She blinked as a scroll unfurled in front of her.

    ----

    Quest of the Akashic Tree

    Plant the seed in the designated place at the destined time.

    Reward: Akashic Ability - Ruler''s Right

    ----

    "They''re back!" Rowan said and he practically danced around Ember. Ember was still in the infirmary but now she could walk around though a bit slowly.

    "Well, lead the way."

    Rowan nodded and shot forward while Ember followed behind him. Her brother kept darting up and down the hall, clearly wanting to hurry but at the same time trying not to rush her. Ember tried to move faster but it still hurt to move despite all the physical damage being gone. Still, she hobbled along as fast as she could. Rowan wasn''t the only one excited.

    Eventually, they made it to the temple entrance to see their mother crying. Their father''s arms were wrapped around her, holding her tightly. Her father looked thin and worn but there was a smile on his face.

    "Dad!" Rowan shouted and then he was rushing forward, slamming into their parents.

    Ember wished she could say she was more composed but she wasn''t too far behind Rowan. Warm arms wrapped around her and she sunk into them.

    Finally, she thought. I''m home.

    End of Book 1

 Dont Destroy the World Published!

    Hi everyone! Don''t Destroy the World is now available on amazon, barnes and noble, Kobo, Apple, and Google Play! It''s available as an ebook, paperback, and large print. You can go here and pick your preference -  https://vystarlit.com/books/</a>

    Thank you to all my readers that have supported me so far. You really kept me goingduring a turbelent year and I''m looking forward to returning with book 2.

    You will notice that Don''t Destroy the World isn''t in KU. This is because I wanted the book to remain available for all my RR readers and for anyone who simply can''t afford to buy the book. I plan to continue having the series available for free. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The published version is revised and has some extra scenes but doesn''t stray too far from the Royal Road version.

    If you like the book and can afford to purchase it, please do! If you can''t, don''t feel pressure. I''ve been there and I understand.

    Once again, thank you all for supporting me whether by reading, commenting, reviewing, or fianacially. I appreciate you all. I''ll see you in Aug/Sept with book 2!